Cervical cancer is the 4th most common cancer among women worldwide. It is caused by the prolonged HPV infection, which is a virus transmitted from one person to another during intercourse. Pap Smears are the medical screening for cervical cancer detection. It is a fairly simple test that detects the abnormal growth of cervix cells. The abnormal cell growth can turn into precancerous and cancerous cells if left untreated. So, getting a Pap smear test North Hills is extremely important. Here are five things that you must know about this test before getting it done.
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Pap smears working
Most women tend to believe that a Pap smear detects cervix cancer. This is not the actual truth about this medical screening. But it performs a vital part to help physicians to detect abnormal growth of cervix cells. HPV is the major infection that is responsible for the growth of such cells. These cells can turn into cancer that can spread to other body organs. So, this test is mainly done to see the abnormality of the cervix to treat it before the disaster.
Cervical cancer symptoms are indefinite
Being a woman, you might experience abnormal bleedings during menstruation and white vaginal discharges. These could be the early signs of cervical cancer that might resemble other problems. Therefore, the symptoms of this cancer are indefinite, as you can mistakenly link them to other reproductive health concerns. Thus, it is always better to undergo Pap spears to know if there is an abnormality lies in your cervix.
Precautions needed before Pap test
Getting a Pap smear test North Hills would enable you to see if you need further treatment. It provides accurate results in most cases that help gynecologists to form a proper diagnosis. Well, the test results could become falsely positive if there are foreign substances present in your vaginal tract. So, you should not have sex three days before getting a pap test. It could vary the test results, so you might need to repeat the test for accurate results.
Read more: Tips For Making Your Pap Test a Little Comfortable
How often do you need a pap test?
Well, if you have turned 21, then you must not forget to get this test once every three years. If you are a sexually active woman, you are more likely to get an HPV infection. HPV infection is the major cause of cervical cancer and cannot be stopped even with condoms. Therefore, if you are sexually active with your partner, you must undergo this test until you turn 65. However, you can get this test once in 5 years if you are not sexually active. But this interval is only recommended if your last pap test is normal.
Decoding the pap test results
The results of the Pap test come in positive and negative forms. You should know what they mean. A negative test would mean that there is no abnormality found in your cervix. While a positive test would indicate the presence of abnormal cells. However, to confirm the nature of cells, the physician might refer for further screenings. A colposcopy might be recommended to ensure the severity of abnormal cells in your cervix. This would help in the better treatment of cells.
To sum up
As you can see, that Pap smear test North Hills can help you in detecting abnormal growth of cervix cells. So, it is an important test that must not be ignored. You must visit the physician to get it done safely. It is not a discomforting test, but you need to follow the instructions of the medical expert. You can also get this test done at affordable prices.
Here are a few more topics that you shouldn’t miss:
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