Blog

November 12, 2021

Early Detection Saves Lives: Why You Shouldn’t Put Off Your Annual Pap Smear

Preventive care is extremely important for your body, which is why we have yearly checkups with our physicians! Unfortunately, many women tend to forget or neglect their yearly OB/GYN checkups, like annual Pap smears and breast exams.

So what exactly is a Pap smear, and why is it important?

What’s a Pap Smear Test?

A Pap smear starts with going to your OB/GYN for your annual well woman exam. Your doctor will collect an endocervical and ectocervical sample to send to a lab during your pelvic exam. Specifically, the procedure of gathering this sample is called a Pap smear exam.

This exam is another routine and quick part of the pelvic exam process, so it’s a typical procedure in a well-woman examination. This test is performed to search for any early signs of severe abnormalities such as cervical cancer.

Your Pap smear lab results will allow our experts to address the issue in its early stages and potentially prove to be life-saving. This is why our professionals view well-woman exams as preventive care.

By consistently having yearly checkups, your OB/GYN will be able to tell if anything is out of the ordinary. More importantly, your doctor will be able to diagnose any abnormality and treat it before it’s too late.

When you forget or neglect the yearly checkups you should be having with their OB/GYN, you skip these exams, potentially harming your health. Even if you don’t have noticeable symptoms, you should still have these checkups to be safe so that if there are issues, your doctor can detect them early.

Healthcare provider holding swab for Pap smear test.

Your doctor will collect a sample to send to a lab during your pelvic exam. The procedure of gathering this sample is called a Pap smear exam.

How Long Do Pap Smear Results Take?

Usually, Pap smear and HPV results take 1 to 3 weeks to come in. Some offices can get your results in just a few days. Most of the time, test results are normal, but if you do not get the results of your Pap and HPV tests three weeks after the test, call your doctor’s office to get the results.

Pap test results generally depend upon the lab that examines the sample, so don’t be concerned if the results take a couple of weeks; just make sure to follow up with your healthcare provider.

If anything unusual is present in your Pap smear results, your doctor will likely ask you to come back for an HPV (human papilloma virus) test. If the issue is not due to a virus, you will be asked to undergo further testing to determine whether it is indeed cervical cancer or something else.

What exactly is an HPV test? It’s designed to identify high-risk viruses as opposed to cellular abnormalities like the Pap. However, both tests employ a small instrument to collect cervical cells for examination, and both play key roles in a woman’s health.

Pap Smear Test Near Me | Pap Smear in Spanish

Looking for a Pap smear test near me or a Pap smear in Spanish? Whether you are searching for a dependable OB/GYN specialist for routine gynecological care or a knowledgeable practitioner to perform a pelvic reconstructive surgery, Dr. Susan Fox’s Center for Women is your most secure option. Your wellness is of the utmost importance to us, and we will do everything within our power to keep our patients happy and healthy.

Contact us today and book an appointment at our Miami office right through our website! We provide Pap smears in Spanish to patients who only speak Spanish, and we’re happy to assist you during your visit to help you understand your body the best way possible.

Blog, Cancer Screening, Dr. Susan Fox, Gynecologist, Gynecology Exam, OBGYN Miami, Well Woman Exam ,
About OBGYN Miami