Pap Smear Specialist
Fort Lauderdale Women Care
>
Our Services
>
Fort Lauderdale Women Care
Gynecologists located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
A Pap smear is one of the best tools in the female arsenal to detect and prevent issues about your cervix. This fast and painless procedure os performed in-office by Dr. Khadra M. Osman, the gynecologist at Fort Lauderdale Women Care in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is an effective way to monitor and take charge of your health. It allows them to spot potential issues long before they become problematic.
Pap Smear Q & A
What is a Pap smear?
A Pap smear is the single best tool for screening women for cervical cancer. This simple procedure is performed by taking a swab of your cervix and detects abnormalities in the cells on your cervix which could indicate a precancerous or cancerous condition. In fact, this simple test can buy you valuable time in treating a potentially dangerous problem, something that very few cancers afford.
Pap Smear
What do abnormal results mean?
If your test comes back positive, that means some abnormal cells were found; a negative result means nothing unusual was found in your Pap smear. Positive results don’t necessarily indicate that you have cancer because these results can be caused by several issues, such as:
-
Human papillomavirus (HPV): HPV is a very common STD that often goes unnoticed, but it can create abnormal cells
-
Inflammation: which can be caused by a number of minor factors
-
Dysplasia: minor cell changes
Dr. Osman and Dr. Sanches often recommend a wait-and-see approach, especially if you’ve never had a problem before, and will usually order another Pap smear in a few months. If you’ve had several positive results in a row, however, the gynecologists typically investigate further and order more tests, which is when more serious conditions, such as cervical cancer, can be detected and treated, often while it is still in a precancerous stage.
How often should I get a Pap smear?
According to Women’s Health, a branch of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Pap smears should be performed according to the following guidelines:
-
If you’re between ages 21 and 29, you should get a Pap test every three years.
-
If you’re between ages 30 and 64, you should get a Pap test and HPV test together every five years or a Pap test alone every three years.
-
If you’re 65 or older, ask the doctor if you can stop having Pap tests.
It’s best to discuss this with your doctor since there are several variables that will determine the frequency at which you should be tested.
