Pap Smear Test
Cervical Screening in Dubai at CMC

Through routine screening, early detection, and vaccination against the HPV virus, cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers in Women. Unfortunately, statistics show in the UAE that is the 4^th most common cancer for women, and a top 5 leading cause of death.

Also known as a pap test, a Pap smear is a screening procedure for cervical cancer which is typically used to test for the presence of precancerous or cancerous cells on the patient’s cervix (the opening of the uterus).

During the procedure, the cervix’s cells are softly scraped away and checked for abnormal growth. Although the procedure may cause mild discomfort,  it typically doesn’t cause pain.

Who Should Get a Pap Smear?

• Patients who test positive for human immunodeficiency virus
• Patients with a weakened immune system resulting from chemotherapy or an organ transplant
• Anyone above 25 years and has not had an abnormal pap smear.
• Any individual should as well get a regular pap smear based on her age.  Although a pap smear is not indicated if penetrative sexual activity has never occured.

How Often You Should Consider a Pap Smear

Age and risk are the only variables that determine how frequently one requires a Pap smear:

• An individual under 21 years old doesn’t need routine pap smear
• For those who are between the ages of 21 and 29 years, it is recommended to be done every 3 years
• For Individuals between the ages of 30 and 65 the frequency should be every 3 years, or an HPV test every 5 years or a Pap test and HPV test together every 5 years.
• 65 years and older may no longer need a pap smear test

Note: These recommendations are only applicable to women with a cervix. Those who have undergone hysterectomy procedures that include cervix removal and have no prior history of cervical cancer should not be screened.

Preparation for a Pap Smear

Before undergoing a pap test, there are guidelines that should be followed:

• If the patient is menstruating on the day of her pap smear, the doctor may find it necessary to reschedule since the results could be less accurate.
• The day before the test, one should try not to get intimate, douching, or use spermicidal products as these could affect the results.
• Doctors recommend that it’s safer to have a pap smear in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy since, after that, the test may be more painful
• It’s crucial to maintain composure and breathe deeply throughout the Pap smear since the body will function more efficiently if an individual is comfortable

Pap Smear Procedure

During the procedure, which does not require any form of anesthesia, the patient will lie on her back on an examination table with her legs spread. The feet will rest in supports called stirrups. Then, the doctor will slowly insert a speculum into the vagina. The speculum is a device that keeps the vaginal walls open and provides access to the cervix. A small sample of cells from the patient’s cervix is scrapped by the doctor.

The following are some of the ways the doctor can extract the sample:

• By using a tool called a spatula
• Some may use a spatula and brush
• Some doctors use a cytobrush, which combines the brush functions of a spatula and a brush

Meaning of Pap Smear Results

There are only two outcomes of a Pap smear: normal or abnormal.

Normal Pap smear

If the results test normal, it means that no abnormal cells were found. For normal results, the patient might not need a pap smear for another 3 years.

Abnormal pap smear

It does not however indicate that an individual has cancer if the results are abnormal. It simply implies that the cervix has aberrant cells, some of which may be precancerous. Various levels of aberrant cells include:

• Moderate
• Atypia
• Severe dysplasia
• Carcinoma in situ
• Mild