Cervical cancer screenings are a crucial part of preventative health care, as they can detect pre-cancerous cells and cancer early on. This allows doctors to prevent pre-cancerous cells from developing, and ensures that cancer treatments begin as soon as possible when they're necessary. Learn more about this screening process to know what to expect from this important procedure.

What Types of Screening Are Available?

Pap Test

During a Pap smear, your doctor collects a sample of cells from your cervix using a small brush and a flat scraping spatula. The cells are sent to a lab to see if there are any issues.

HPV Test

The HPV test can be done using the same sample collected during the Pap smear, or using a separate cell sample from the cervical canal. In the laboratory, the cells are screened for the human Papillomavirus (HPV). Certain kinds of HPV infections, including HPV types 16 and 18, increase your risk for cervical cancer.

When Should You Get Screened?

Most medical professionals recommend Pap smears for women beginning at age 21. If your Pap test results are normal, your doctor will typically say you can wait three years until your next Pap smear. Women between ages 21 and 29 are usually not tested for HPV unless they have an abnormal Pap test result.

If you're older than 30, your doctor may suggest either a Pap test, an HPV test, or both. If you do the combined tests and your results are normal, you usually can wait five years until your next screening.

Women over 65 years old generally don't need to be screened if they've had normal test results for many years. Women also don't have to be screened if their cervix was removed as part of a hysterectomy.

What Do the Test Results Mean?

Depending on the laboratory, it can take several weeks to get cervical cancer screening results back from your doctor. If you receive abnormal results on a Pap smear, or your HPV tests indicated the presence of HPV types 16 or 18, it doesn't necessarily mean you have cancer. However, you may be at greater risk for those cells to become cancerous. Your doctor may order more tests or prescribe treatment to prevent cervical cancer from developing.

If you’d like to schedule a cervical cancer screening, contact South Baldwin Obstetrics & Gynecology, PC in Foley, AL. Their compassionate, qualified staff of OB-GYNs can administer Pap and HPV tests, answer all of your women's health questions, and help you decide on treatment options, if necessary. Call (251) 943-2141 to schedule an appointment, or visit their website to learn more about their services.