Question
What does a routine Pap smear show? Are there other routine tests should I ask for?
Answer
A routine pap test screens for abnormal cells from the cervix associated with cancer or pre-cancer of the cervix. Depending on one's age, we are also testing for the human papilloma virus (HPV) which is now felt to be the cause of most cancers of the cervix. The pap test does not screen for uterine or ovarian cancer.
Sometimes, if requested, one can also screen for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC/Ct) on the same specimen collected at the time of this test.
We are no longer doing the pap test yearly for everyone but are following new guidelines for preventive screening and testing.