Pap smear setup

Regardless of whether or not you have had a pap smear in the past, tell your doctor about any changes you have noticed in your genital region. This includes any abnormal redness, itchy, swelling, or sores. Try to be as open and honest as you can—odds are, your gynecologist has heard and seen it all!

Tell your doctor if you have had past issues with pelvic examinations. Your doctor will adjust their actions appropriately to suit your needs. In some cases, your doctor may allow you to insert the speculum yourself if that makes you more comfortable. If you came with a friend or family member, ask if they can come into the room to help calm your nerves. Method 3.

Undress to your comfort level and put on the open-front gown. If you are asked to undress completely, put on the hospital gown that the nurse gives you.

Make sure the opening is in the front. If the nurse only tells you to undress from the waist down, you can leave your shirt on. Lie down on the examination table and put your feet in the stirrups. Allow the doctor to insert the speculum into your vagina.

Try to relax as you prepare for the doctor to place the plastic or metal instrument into your vagina. It might feel very cold at first as it goes inside of you but the initial chilliness will pass. Remind yourself that this part is necessary and every woman goes through this temporary discomfort. This instrument helps to hold your vaginal walls apart so that the doctor can access your cervix.

Stay still and breathe while the doctor scrapes the inside of your cervix. Take deep breaths to help you relax because you might feel some mild pressure and discomfort during this part. Feel free to talk to the doctor or nurse about anything to distract yourself—recent events, movies, music, or whatever you like!

Wait up to 2 weeks to get the results from your doctor. Expect to hear from your doctor anywhere between a few days and 2 weeks. Carrie Noriega, MD. This pap smear study guide can help nurses understand their tasks and responsibilities during the procedure. Pap smear is performed by a practitioner and takes approximately about 5 to 10 minutes. The step-by-step procedure is as follows:.

The following are the nursing interventions and nursing care considerations for a patient indicated for Pap smear. The nurse should note the following nursing interventions after pap smear:. Normal findings in a Pap smear will indicate a negative result which means that no abnormal, malignant cells or atypical cells are found. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy.

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Avoid putting anything in your vagina for 2 days before the test. Putting anything in your vagina could disturb any abnormal cells in your cervix and make your pap smear results inaccurate.

Ask if you should pee right before the test. A lot of doctors will ask for a urine sample before the exam, so call ahead to find out if this is something your doctor will want you to do.

Some kinds of medications, like hormonal birth control pills, can affect your pap test results. Give your doctor a full list of any medicines or supplements you use so that they can interpret your test results as accurately as possible.

Part 2. Take off your clothes from the waist down. After taking your medical history, the nurse or doctor will hand you a paper gown or sheet and ask you to take off your shoes, pants, and underwear.

In these cases, they may ask you to take off your top and bra, too. Lie down on the exam table and put your feet in the stirrups. Climb onto the exam table and lie down on your back, then put your heels in the stirrups at the end of the table.

Relax your legs and allow your knees to fall open. Breathe deeply and try to relax as much as possible. This will help you feel calmer and will make it easier for the doctor to perform the exam. Expect your doctor to examine the outside of your pelvis and vulva. Most of the time, your doctor will want to do a pelvic exam at the same time as your pap smear.

They might have to spread the labia lips of your vulva so they can get a better look. Allow your doctor to insert a lubricated speculum into your vagina. The speculum may be made of plastic or metal. The speculum holds the walls of your vagina apart so that your doctor can easily see your cervix.

Inserting the speculum may cause a sensation of pressure in your pelvic area. Then your doctor will take samples of your cervical cells using a soft brush and a flat scraping device called a spatula. This usually doesn't hurt. Depending on the type of Pap testing you're undergoing, your doctor transfers the cell sample collected from your cervix into a container holding a special liquid to preserve the sample liquid-based Pap test or onto a glass slide conventional Pap smear.

The samples are transferred to a laboratory where they're examined under a microscope to look for characteristics in the cells that indicate cancer or a precancerous condition. If only normal cervical cells were discovered during your Pap smear, you're said to have a negative result. You won't need any further treatment or testing until you're due for your next Pap smear and pelvic exam. If abnormal or unusual cells were discovered during your Pap smear, you're said to have a positive result.

A positive result doesn't mean you have cervical cancer. What a positive result means depends on the type of cells discovered in your test.

Squamous cells are thin and flat and grow on the surface of a healthy cervix. In the case of ASCUS, the Pap smear reveals slightly abnormal squamous cells, but the changes don't clearly suggest that precancerous cells are present.

With the liquid-based test, your doctor can reanalyze the sample to check for the presence of viruses known to promote the development of cancer, such as some types of human papillomavirus HPV.

If no high-risk viruses are present, the abnormal cells found as a result of the test aren't of great concern. If worrisome viruses are present, you'll need further testing. Squamous intraepithelial lesion. This term is used to indicate that the cells collected from the Pap smear may be precancerous. If the changes are low grade, it means the size, shape and other characteristics of the cells suggest that if a precancerous lesion is present, it's likely to be years away from becoming a cancer.

If the changes are high grade, there's a greater chance that the lesion may develop into cancer much sooner. Additional diagnostic testing is necessary. Atypical glandular cells. Glandular cells produce mucus and grow in the opening of your cervix and within your uterus. Atypical glandular cells may appear to be slightly abnormal, but it's unclear whether they're cancerous.