How a Pap test is performed
Pap test results
Further tests and treatments
Pap tests, treatments, pregnancy and birth
The cells on a woman's
cervix naturally grow and shed all the time. Sometimes these cells change and become abnormal and occasionally abnormal cells will progress further, developing into cancer if they are not detected early and treated. A Pap test (also known as a 'Pap smear') involves the caregiver taking a small sample of these cells (also called 'cervical cells') with the aim of detecting irregular or abnormal changes.
The Australian National Health and Medical Research council (NHMRC) recommends that all women from ages 18 to 70 years have regular Pap tests. The first Pap test should be done at around 18 years (or 1 to 2 years after the woman's first sexual intercourse, whichever is later). Pap tests are routinely repeated at least every 2 years, more often than this if a previous Pap test has detected irregularities or abnormal cell changes, or a woman has required recent treatments for abnormal cell changes.
Pap tests were first developed in the 1920's by a Dr. George Papanicolaou, but the value of the test was not recognised until the 1950's. Routine Pap tests became widely available in Australia in the 1970's. It is estimated that if all women had regular Pap tests, this could prevent up to 90% of cervical cancers. Yet only 50% of Australian women have regular Pap tests, with just over 1% of women developing cancer of the cervix at some stage in their lifetime.
How a Pap test is performed
New pap test technology
For the Pap test procedure, the woman needs to partially undress from the waist down and lie on her back on the bed and rest comfortably with her knees bent. Her bottom needs to rest on the lower edge of the bed and her feet are usually placed on a slightly lower platform at the bottom of the bed (or on specially designed footrests).