Q: Which doctor should I visit to get a Pap smear done?
A: Your gynaecologist or family practitioner may do a Pap smear.
Q: What happens if the Pap smear test comes abnormal?
A: If the Pap smear test comes abnormal, you will have to visit your doctor again, who would advise you some treatment or some further tests.
Q: Does doing a Pap smear have any side effects?
A: Screening with Pap smear may lead to over diagnosis and overtreatment. For example, some changes in the cervical cells may disappear spontaneously without any treatment. However, when they are detected on Pap smear, the woman often has to undergo treatment. In addition, since the test is not 100% accurate, a false-positive test (a test that wrongly shows the presence of disease when the disease does not exist) could increase anxiety in the patient and result in unnecessary treatment.
Q: What is liquid-based cytology?
A: In liquid based cytology, the sample of cervical cells is preserved in a liquid. The cells are then spread out on a slide by automated machines in the laboratory and the slide is studied under a microscope. The same sample can be studied for the presence of HPV as well.
