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By Mayo Clinic staff
During the Pap smear
A Pap smear is performed in your doctor's office and takes only a few minutes. You may be asked to undress completely or only from the waist down.
You'll lie down on your back on an exam table with your knees bent. Your heels rest in supports called stirrups.
Your doctor will gently insert an instrument called a speculum into your vagina. The speculum holds the walls of the vagina apart so that your doctor can easily see your cervix. Inserting the speculum may cause sensation of pressure in your pelvic area. Sometimes the speculum feels cold when it's first inserted.
Then your doctor will take samples of your cervical cells using a soft brush and a flat scraping device called a spatula. This doesn't hurt and you may not even feel the sample being taken.
After the Pap smear
After your Pap smear, you can go about your day without any restrictions.
Depending on the type of Pap test you're undergoing, your doctor transfers the cell sample collected from your cervix onto a glass slide or into a container holding a special liquid to preserve the sample (liquid-based Pap test).
The samples are transferred to a laboratory where a cytotechnologist — a person trained to detect abnormal cells — will examine the sample. These technicians work in cooperation with a pathologist — a doctor who specializes in cellular abnormalities. The pathologist is responsible for the final diagnosis.
Ask your doctor about when you can expect the results of your Pap smear. In some cases, your doctor will only contact you if something of concern is found or if it's determined that you need further testing.
