{"id":18623,"date":"2021-01-11T09:25:20","date_gmt":"2021-01-11T08:25:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?p=18623"},"modified":"2021-01-11T09:25:20","modified_gmt":"2021-01-11T08:25:20","slug":"first-pap-smear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/first-pap-smear\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Expect During Your First Pap Smear"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your body is developed, and you\u2019re now a full-blown adult. Congratulations!<\/span><\/p>\n

Part of being an adult is of course – adulting. And when you have a vagina, that means checking in with your friendly local <\/span>gynecologist<\/span><\/a> every so often.<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve most likely already visited the gyno sometime after you started menstruating, you might have discussed birth control options, but now the real fun starts – pap smears!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Pap Smear?<\/b><\/p>\n

A pap smear, <\/span>Papanicolaou test, pap test, or cervical smear is a routine test done on women and people with vaginas to check the health of their cervix.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your <\/span>cervix<\/span><\/a> is a tiny doughnut-shaped organ that acts as the passageway between your uterus and vagina. It helps to keep sperm in – or out – of your body, let\u2019s menstrual blood out, creates mucus that tells you when you\u2019re <\/span>ovulating<\/span><\/a>, and helps maintain your <\/span>vaginal flora<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Do I Need to Get a Pap Smear?<\/b><\/p>\n

Pap smears are done to detect if any cancerous or precancerous cervical cells have developed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This test can be potentially lifesaving. By finding and removing <\/span>precancerous cells, you can prevent <\/span>cervical cancer<\/span><\/a> by up to <\/span>95%<\/span><\/a> of the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Do People Start Getting Pap Smears?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Providers typically recommend getting your first pap smear at age twenty-one and continuing to get them even up to age sixty-five.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can advocate to get one when before age twenty-one if you have been having sex for some time.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s recommended to get a pap smear every three years before the age of thirty, and less often as you get older – as long as there are no signs of cervical cancer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not sexually active, your chances of contracting HPV are minimal, but your provider will still recommend getting a pap smear, as there are other potential risk factors that can increase the chances of cervical cancer like smoking cigarettes and having a family history of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Happens During a Pap Smear?<\/b><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve made it to your appointment, now what on earth should you be expecting? How does one obtain cervical cells?<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve got answers.<\/span><\/p>\n

You will have a brief chat with your gyno about your sexual history, health, and any other questions you have. They will then palpate your breasts and abdomen to feel for any lumps or bumps.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now the pap part.<\/span><\/p>\n

They will have you put your legs up in foot rests, so they can get the right angle. Then use a lubricated speculum to be able to see up the vaginal canal to the cervix. Using a special stick or soft brush they will then collect cervical cells from the outside of your cervix.<\/span><\/p>\n

These cells will then be sent to a lab for testing, and you will get your results within a couple of weeks in most cases.<\/span><\/p>\n

The test itself only lasts for a few minutes at most.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Can I Prepare for a Pap Smear?<\/b><\/p>\n

I hope we didn\u2019t scare you away yet, because there are ways to prepare to make this whole process easier on you.<\/span><\/p>\n