Pap Smear
The Pap smear is done as part of a gynecological exam. You
will lie on a table and place your feet in stirrups to position your pelvis for
examination. The health care provider will insert an instrument (speculum) into
your vagina and open it slightly to see inside the vaginal canal.
The health care provider will take a sample of cells from the outside and the
canal of the cervix by gently scraping the outside of the cervix with a wooden
or plastic spatula, then inserting a small brush that looks like a pipe cleaner
into the canal.
The cells are placed on a glass slide, or put in a bottle containing a
preservative, and then sent to the lab for examination.
Pap Smear
