During the routine procedure, cells from your cervix are gently scraped away and examined for abnormal growth. The procedure is done at your doctor’s office. It may be mildly uncomfortable, but ...

A pelvic exam involves physically and visually examining the female reproductive and sexual organs. It allows a doctor to look for signs of infection and illness. Doctors often perform pelvic exams to ...

A Pap smear or Pap test involves a doctor taking a small sample of cells from a person’s cervix using a brush or spatula-like instrument to look for changes in the cervix’s cells. Share on Pinterest ...

More than 13,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer this year A routine pap exam can help women lower their risk of developing cervical cancer It's important to ...

A smear test itself is a standard procedure. All women aged 25-49 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are invited for a cervical screening every three years (while in Scotland it's every five years ...

Happy Cervical Screening Awareness Week, folks. Now, we get that it's a pain in the cervix, but, reality is, smear tests are one of the most effective ways to reduce mortality rates from the disease.

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 ...