Why You Should Stop Putting Off A Pap Smear
If you’re anything like me, getting a pap smear (or “pap”) is on my life’s priority list alongside “de-scaling my coffee machine” and “cleaning out my Gmail inbox.” It’s annoying, uncomfortable and always feels like it can be put off until another day. We all know that we need one… but we’re never EXACTLY sure WHY we need to put our legs up in cold stirrups and let a stranger (often a man) poke and prod in our cave of wonders.
Well, I’m here to let you know what the hell a pap smear ACTUALLY is and why you should stop avoiding it.
A little history… in case you were wondering, a “pap” is not named after the paparazzi, despite it feeling like someone is invading your privacy.
It is actually named after a Greek Doctor named Georgios Papanicolau. Dr. Pap saw cancer cells for the first time in a smear from a woman’s cervix while studying vaginal smears volunteered by workers at a local hospital. I’m now imaging going around… in 1925… asking women if they want to “volunteer a smear”…
It was “one of the most thrilling experiences of my scientific career,” he wrote. I bet it was…
Enough making fun of “Georgios George…” his discovery lead to the modern day pap smear, during which cells are collected from a women’s cervix and screened for “abnormal results” or “mutations,” which may indicate the presence of the human papillomavirus, better known as “HPV.” Conversations surrounding HPV (which has roughly 100 strains), tend to be uncomfortable due to the fact that some of those strains cause genital warts.
But in reality, about 80 percent of sexually active men and women are infected with HPV at some point in their lives, but most people never know they have the virus. In most cases, HPV goes away on its own and does not cause any health problems. But when HPV does not go away, it can cause health problems like cervical cancer. So here is your reminder… it’s time to call your doctor.
Still thinking that getting a pap smear is not important or that cervical cancer can’t/won’t affect you? Well, I decided to write this blog after hearing for the 3rd time this year that one of my girlfriends received an “abnormal” result from a pap smear. Each were worried about the results of further testing, but relieved that they had caught the irregularity early and had the ability to do something about it. And I’m not talking about women in their 40s and 50s, I’m talking about women in the mid to late 20s and early 30s. It’s never too early to start regular screenings! Still not convinced? Take a look at the following questions and see if any of them apply to you:
- Are you sexually active?
- Do you use birth control pills?
- Do you have an IUD?
- Do you smoke?
- Are you overweight?
- Do you have a family history of cervical cancer?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, you are at a heightened risk for cervical cancer. But that doesn’t mean you have to worry. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that cervical cancer is the easiest gynecologic cancer to prevent when women get regular screenings. When should you start getting a pap smear?
It is recommended that women begin pap smears every 1-3 years, starting when they are 21 or sexually active and continue until they are 65. But even a woman over the age of 65, if sexually active, should have a conversation with her doctor about whether or not there is a need for further screenings.
Not sure how to prepare for a pap smear test? There are a few things you should “know before you go.” Doctors recommend that you avoid the following 24 hours before your exam:
Having sex
Using a tampon
Douching
Using medicine or cream in your vagina
Using spermicides
If you’ve made it this far, I hope you’re feeling more educated about the importance of routine pap smears and are encouraged to call your OBGYN and schedule a Well Woman Exam – it could save your life. And while you’re at it, take a deep breath, relax and know that you are doing something to be proactive for your healthcare and there’s nothing more badass than that!
Thank you for reading!
XOXO, Allyn
