What Does a Pap Test Detect?

Updated November 2022

Its real name: Papanicolaou test. There’s a good chance you know it as a Pap smear, or more appropriately, a Pap test. Discover the science behind this test ­— including what it doesn’t detect.

The Science Behind the Test

A Pap test is when a clinician takes a sample of cells from your cervix (the lower part of the uterus neck located at the top of the vagina). Then, they put the cells into small jar with a special liquid to preserve the sample so it can be tested for abnormalities under a microscope.

There are many reasons why you may have abnormal findings, such as:

• Mild inflammation
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Cancer or precancer

Cervical cancer, if caught early, is highly treatable.

— Melissa A. Simon, MD

“The Pap test can detect changes in cells that could be concerning for possible cervical cancer or precancerous changes,” says Melissa A. Simon, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Northwestern Medicine. 

Abnormal test results will indicate a number of atypical squamous cells, which will then be classified as low-grade or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL and HSIL, respectively). LSIL indicates that the changes are mildly abnormal and usually caused by HPV infection, and they may go away on their own. HSIL suggests more serious changes.

“Cells that are determined to be atypical of undetermined significance basically reveal slightly abnormal cells, and it does not clearly mean precancer is there. Usually, these test results indicate to follow up in a year,” says Dr. Simon.

Abnormal Pap test results are typically caused by HPV. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that enters cells and changes them. HPV can be prevented by getting the vaccine, which targets the HPV types that most commonly cause certain types of cancer and genital warts. Certain high-risk types of HPV are associated with an increased risk for the following types of cancer:

• Cervical
• Vulva
• Vagina
• Penis
• Anus
• Mouth and throat cancer

Depending on your Pap test results, your physician will determine the appropriate next steps. This can include another test, known as a colposcopy, which uses a special camera to look at your cervix. During this procedure, a biopsy of cells on your cervix may be taken for further analysis. Your physician may also opt for a loop electrosurgical excision procedure, known as LEEP, if there are more concerning findings or repeated abnormal Pap test results. A LEEP removes part of your cervix tissue for diagnosis and/or treatment.

What It Can’t Determine

Although Pap tests can help detect precancerous cells on the cervix, there are other types of gynecologic cancers that Pap tests cannot detect. 

Because your ovaries are far away from your cervix, it is extremely unlikely that a Pap test will  detect ovarian cancer. For that to happen, the cancer cells would have to travel away from your ovaries, through your fallopian tubes and uterus, and into the area surrounding your cervix.

The Pap test is also limited in detecting other types of STIs. If you are concerned you may have a STI, you should ask your clinician to screen for specific STIs.

Pap Tests Are Part of Routine Screening

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) both suggest starting screening at age 21. However, the American Cancer Society suggests that cervical cancer screening begin at age 25.

Dr. Simon explains that there are many nuances and complexities of when to start screening and how frequently screening should be done. Cervical cancer can also take a long time to develop, which could explain the varying guidelines.

Screening with a Pap test every three years during this time period is acceptable. However, other types of screening include primary HPV testing every five years. If primary HPV testing is not available, screening may be performed with co-testing that combines an HPV test with a Pap test every five years.

“If you have vaginal discharge, abnormal bleeding or are feeling pain, schedule a visit with your healthcare clinician to discuss these symptoms,” says Dr. Simon. “It’s important that if you are ever in any doubt of what you are feeling or experiencing, and are questioning if you need screening or a test, always reach out to your care team so you can have that conversation.”

The USPSTF, ACOG and American Cancer Society agree that people older than 65 do not need to be screened if adequate prior screening has been completed with normal results and if there is no history or high risk of cervical cancer. Dr. Simon recommends talking to your primary care clinician about your individual risks and recommendations for screening.

Bottom Line

The Pap test is a screening tool that can help detect abnormal cells on your cervix. This early detection can be important in stopping precancerous cells from progressing to cervical cancer.  

“Cervical cancer, if caught early, is highly treatable. And that’s why engaging in routine screening is very important,” says Dr. Simon. “Between the HPV vaccine and routine testing, this type of cancer really should be nonexistent. ”

What Should I Know About Cervical Cancer Screening?

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“If I didn’t go to that appointment, I might not be around for my kids,” says Cindy. Her cervical cancer screening test found precancerous cells. She shares her story in this video.

The HPV test and the Pap test can help prevent cervical cancer or find it early.

• The HPV test looks for the virus (human papillomavirus) that can cause cell changes on the cervix.
• The Pap test (or Pap smear) looks for precancers, cell changes on the cervix that might become cervical cancer if they are not treated appropriately.

Both tests can be done in a doctor’s office or clinic. During the Pap test, the doctor will use a plastic or metal instrument, called a speculum, to look inside your vagina. This helps the doctor examine the vagina and the cervix, and collect a few cells and mucus from the cervix and the area around it. The cells are sent to a laboratory.

• If you are getting a Pap test, the cells will be checked to see if they look normal.
• If you are getting an HPV test, the cells will be tested for HPV.

What is cervical precancer? When there are cervical cells that look abnormal but are not yet cancerous, it is called cervical precancer. These abnormal cells may be the first sign of cancer that develops years later. Cervical precancer usually doesn’t cause pain or other symptoms. It is found with a pelvic exam or a Pap test.

If you have a low income or do not have health insurance, you may be able to get a free or low-cost screening test through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.

Find out if you qualify

When to Get Screened

If You Are 21 to 29 Years Old

You should start getting Pap tests at age 21. If your Pap test result is normal, your doctor may tell you that you can wait three years until your next Pap test.

If You Are 30 to 65 Years Old

Talk to your doctor about which testing option is right for you—

• An HPV test only. This is called primary HPV testing. If your result is normal, your doctor may tell you that you can wait five years until your next screening test.
• An HPV test along with the Pap test. This is called co-testing. If both of your results are normal, your doctor may tell you that you can wait five years until your next screening test.
• A Pap test only. If your result is normal, your doctor may tell you that you can wait three years until your next Pap test.

If You Are Older Than 65

Your doctor may tell you that you don’t need to be screened anymore if—

• You have had normal screening test results for several years, and
• You have not had a cervical precancer in the past, or
• You have had your cervix removed as part of a total hysterectomy for non-cancerous conditions, like fibroids.

No special preparation is needed before you have an HPV test.

If you are getting a Pap test, you can take steps to make sure the test results are accurate. Avoid intercourse, douching, and using vaginal medicines or spermicidal foam for 2 days before the test. If you had sex before the test, go to the appointment as planned and let the doctor know.

If you have your period, don’t worry. Both tests can still be done at this time.

Test Results

It can take as long as three weeks to receive your test results. If your test shows that something might not be normal, your doctor will contact you and figure out how best to follow up. There are many reasons why test results might not be normal. It usually does not mean you have cancer.

If your test results show cells that are not normal and may become cancer, your doctor will let you know if you need to be treated. In most cases, treatment prevents cervical cancer from developing. It is important to follow up with your doctor right away to learn more about your test results and receive any treatment that may be needed.

If your test results are normal, your chance of getting cervical cancer in the next few years is very low. Your doctor may tell you that you can wait several years for your next cervical cancer screening test. But you should still go to the doctor regularly for a checkup.

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What do the smears mean? Encyclopedia of the IVF Clinic

Any visit by a woman to a gynecologist is always accompanied by taking swabs. What do they mean? The doctor obstetrician-gynecologist of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education of St. Petersburg Marina Vladislavovna BONDARENKO tells.

Any visit by a woman to a gynecologist is always accompanied by a swab. What do they mean? The doctor obstetrician-gynecologist of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education of St. Petersburg Marina Vladislavovna Bondarenko tells.

Flora smear

Flora smear is the most common test in gynecological practice. It is taken both at the first visit to the doctor and at subsequent visits. If a woman is healthy, then such a prophylactic smear is done with a frequency of about once every 3 months. In cases where it is necessary to confirm a particular disease or test the effectiveness of treatment, it makes sense to examine it at every visit to the doctor.

Before the procedure, you should not go to the toilet “in a small way” for 2-3 hours. Otherwise, you may wash away bacteria and epithelium, which are important for a correct diagnosis. For a day, you must refrain from intimate contacts. Also, do not use spermicidal creams or douche.

A prophylactic flora swab is taken from a healthy woman approximately once every three months. When performed correctly, a smear on the flora can say a lot. First of all, determine the number of leukocytes. If there are a lot of white blood cells, then you may have inflammation. The type of microflora is also determined in this smear. It is directly related to the phase of the menstrual cycle. In the analysis, there may be different cells of the rod or cocci. If there is inflammation, then there will always be a lot of cells, since they are rejected faster. “Cluster cells” characteristic of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) may appear. This also suggests that it is time to take care of your health. When gonococci or Trichomonas appear in the analyzes, then you definitely should not put off a visit to the doctor. Although it should be noted that only those gonococci that “sit” inside the cell are dangerous. But extracellular ones can be present in a smear in an absolutely healthy woman.

You also need to remember that the diagnosis of gonorrhea can only be made after inoculation on special media. So I’ll have to take another smear. Before this, treatment cannot be started.

If filaments of mycelium are found in your flora smear, then this is a characteristic sign of candidiasis, in other words, “thrush”. However, for the final statement of that diagnosis, it is also not possible to do without sowing.

“Sterility” swab

At the gynecologist’s appointment, you can take a swab to check the degree of purity and hormonal levels. It determines the composition of the contents of the vagina, which is normally represented by a secret, various epithelial cells and coccal microflora. In order to properly conduct the study, you need to use a sterile Tampax-type swab, which is removed after 8 hours. It is most convenient to introduce it at night and remove it in the morning at a gynecologist’s appointment. The swab is sent to the laboratory in a sterile tube.

The degree of purity as a result of a smear is expressed in numbers:

1 and 2 are indicators of health, and 3 and 4 indicate the presence of colpitis – inflammation of the vagina.

There is also a smear for hormonal levels. It shows how during the menstrual cycle the female body is affected by sex hormones – estrogens and progesterone. According to its results, it is possible to establish how correctly and in what quantity they are produced.

A variant of this smear is the Threat swab. It is used during pregnancy to determine the risk of termination.

Pap smear or Pap test

Papanicolaou test or Pap test is needed to detect abnormalities in the cells of the cervix. In our country, it is also called a smear for atypical cells or cytology. All these are “names” of one analysis.

A Pap smear should not be done during menstruation or if there is inflammation, as the result may be false. During the day, as well as when taking a smear for flora, you should avoid intimacy, do not use candles or tampons.

In a cytological smear, the size, shape, number and location of cells are evaluated. In young girls, according to this analysis, it is possible to assess the correct production of estrogens. A smear is considered normal or negative when all cells are of normal size and shape and there are no abnormal cells. Atypical cells are “wrong” cells. They have the wrong shape, size, and they are often not located as they should.

In the first half of the cycle, the cells are located separately, in the second half, the cells seem to “bunch”. Therefore, such a smear is sometimes called “dirty”. To describe an abnormal smear, cytologists use special terms: dysplasia of 1, 2, 3 degrees, atypia. With grade 1 dysplasia, it is necessary to repeat the study after 3-6 months. Such a result can be with untreated chlamydia, gonorrhea or trichomoniasis. Therefore, it is necessary to repeat the procedure after a course of treatment.

In the case when dysplasia was found in the previous smear, or the woman or her partner suffered from herpes or genital warts, an additional examination should be done – colposcopy.

If grade 2 or 3 dysplasia is detected, then a biopsy is indispensable in this case. At the same time, a small piece of tissue is taken from the changed area. If atypical cells are detected, consultation with an oncologist is necessary.

An abnormal smear does not always mean that a woman has cervical cancer. In inflammation, cells can also look abnormal. But after treatment, the smear usually becomes normal.

According to the latest recommendations of the American Cancer Society, which Russian gynecologists also adhere to, a Pap test should be performed for all women from 20 years old once a year. If the result is negative twice, then the analysis can be repeated at least once every 3 years, up to 65 years. Women with a large number of sexual partners, infertility, menstrual irregularities, and genital herpes need more frequent examinations. As well as ladies taking hormonal contraceptives and obese.

The same category includes those who have ever found the papilloma virus. It is his role that is currently considered the main one in the development of cervical cancer. Remember also that if you decide to use an intrauterine device, then before setting it up, you must also take a swab for atypical cells.

Latent Infection Swab

These swabs are used to detect infections that are not detected by flora testing. These include chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, mycoplasmosis, genital herpes, appillomavirus and cytomegalovirus infections. In addition, this research method helps in the detection of candidiasis.

There are a fairly large number of different methods for diagnosing such infections. The most reliable is the PCR method – polymerase chain reaction, in which the infection is determined by its DNA.

PCR diagnostics are very informative, but in some cases there is a possibility of false results.