During a Pap smear the most uncomfortable part will be when the doctor inserts a speculum into your vagina. However, the pain should be minimal and brief. Peter Dazeley/Getty Images A Pap smear is a ...

Maybe you had a bad experience with your last Pap smear and you’re wary of going back to the ob-gyn. Or maybe you’ve never had one before and are scared to make the appointment. It’s understandable to ...

A pap smear (or pap test) is a screening for cervical cancer. It involves taking cells from the cervix and vagina and examining them under a microscope. The test is looking for cervical ...

Editor's note: anyone with a cervix can get a Pap smear, but for this article, we included sources who generally referred to these people as women. Going to the doctor for any type of exam can feel ...

The Pap smear test is a helpful screening tool to detect changes in the cells of the cervix that may have the potential to lead to cervical cancer. This aids in recognizing changes earlier and allows ...

An abnormal Pap smear means some percentage of your cervix cells appear abnormal in shape or size. In most cases, an abnormal Pap smear does not indicate cancer and is in fact caused by HPV. If you ...

Many people who have a Pap smear notice light bleeding, or spotting, for a couple of days after the test. This may be due to irritation of the cervix. This symptom may occur because the Pap smear can ...

Amanda Gardner is a health reporter whose stories have appeared in cnn.com, health.com, cnn.com, WebMD, HealthDay, Self Magazine, the New York Daily News, Teachers & Writers Magazine, the Foreign ...

A Pap smear is a procedure that screens for cervical cancer by testing cells for any abnormalities. If your Pap results are abnormal that does not mean you have cancer, and more likely indicates HPV.