Lots of women dread visits to the gynecologist, while to some even the mere thought of it brings discomfort and feelings of awkwardness. And when it comes to needing a Pap smear test, the need to lie back and bare all for someone that one hardly knows becomes a terrifying ordeal. However, that brief discomfort one may feel taking the test can actually be worth a life.

Experts define a Pap smear test as a screening procedure done for cervical cancer. The test is aimed at detecting the presence of precancerous or cancerous cells on the cervix, the opening of the uterus.

Dr John Muganda, a gynecologist at Polyclinique La Medicale, says that the test should be done by any woman who has engaged in sexual intercourse.

"Having a Pap smear doesn’t really focus on one’s age. As long as one has engaged in sexual intercourse they are eligible for the test and one must maintain a regular plan for checkup,” Dr Muganda says.

He explains that when taking a Pap smear test, one is usually positioned on the examination table, then a device known as a speculum is used to get samples from the vagina.

"The speculum helps in opening the vaginal area wider, giving the doctor a better view of the cervical area. The doctor then wipes the cervix with a cotton swab to collect cells from its surface to be taken for analysis and detect if there are any abnormal cells present.

"Some cells from the cervix are taken for testing to ascertain whether there is presence of some abnormal cells.

It’s mostly done to rule out any possibilities of cancer. When cancer is detected in the early stage then the management is very easy,” he says.

Regardless of how useful the test is to one’s health, women still dread that particular visit to the gynecologist.

Dr Muganda, however, comforts them saying that there is nothing to worry about, urging them to understand that the test isn’t in anyway painful.

"I think some just don’t have the right information but this test is very vital hence the need to be taken regularly because if cancer is not diagnosed early it might be discovered in a later stage when there is little we can do about it,” he says.

Before getting a Pap smear, doctors advise women to put on hold certain activities such as engaging in sexual intercourse, douching and use of creams or tampons, among others, at least three days prior to the test.

According to research done by Mayo Clinic, doctors generally recommend repeating a Pap smear test every three years for women ages 21-65. Women aged 30 and above can consider Pap testing every five years if the procedure is combined with testing for HPV.

If one has certain risk factors like a diagnosis of cervical cancer, HIV infection, weakened immune system due to organ transplant, chemotherapy or chronic corticosteroid use, the doctor may recommend more-frequent Pap smears, regardless of one’s age.

Mayo Clinic further says if normal cervical cells are discovered during the test, then its negative result and no further treatment is needed until one is due for the next Pap smear and pelvic exam.

However, if abnormal cells were discovered during the test, one is said to have a positive result. A positive result doesn’t mean one has cervical cancer. What a positive result means depends on the type of cells discovered in the test and hence the required treatment is recommended.