A viral video claims that Pap smears can damage the cervix, raising concerns among women. But is this fact or myth? We got in ...

More than half of women surveyed mistakenly believed that Pap smears test for cancer. In reality, the primary goal of the test is to detect abnormal cell changes in the cervix — changes that ...

Medically reviewed by Khadeja Haye, MD You can get a Pap smear while on your period, especially if you're only spotting or ...

Occasionally, the public has been alarmed by media reports of cases of cervical cancer preceded by normal Pap smears (The Wall Street Journal. November 2, 1987:1). To savvy clinicians, this should ...

The Papanicolaou (Pap) smear is commonly used to screen for cervical cancer and since its introduction in organized screening programmes in resource-rich countries it has been successful in ...

At present, the HPV test is performed in much the same way as a Pap smear test. You’ll still undergo a pelvic exam that involves a speculum, during which a sample is collected from your cervix.