Smear Test

What is Smear Test? How to Get a Smear? What is the Importance of Smear Test?

While cervical cancer was a common and deadly type of cancer in the past, today it can be detected before cancer occurs, thanks to smear test, HPV test and colposcopy, which provides more detailed examination. Thanks to these tests, cervical cancer deaths can be prevented by providing protective and preventive treatments. In this article, I will answer frequently asked and curious questions about the smear test.

What is Smear Test?

Smear test is an effective screening test performed by taking a swab from the cervix, used in the diagnosis of cervical cancer and its precursor lesions.

What Should the Person Having a Smear Test Pay Attention to?

You must meet some conditions before a smear is taken. These;

• There must be no sexual intercourse for at least two days.
• The vagina must not be washed.
• Vaginal treatment should not have been applied.
• All gynecological interventions, including examination, should not be performed.

If you are going to have a smear test, the accuracy of the results will increase if you make an appointment for the test, taking into account the above situations. However, if you want to get a more assured result regarding your test results, having a colposcopy may be another option.

How to Get a Smear?

The smear test is based on taking secretions from the cervical region with the help of a special brush or wooden stick during a gynecological examination. It is definitely not a surgical procedure. It is an application that does not damage the tissue and does not cause pain. The secretion, which is swab material, is either spread on a thin glass called a slide, or placed in a special liquid and sent to the pathology center. The glass, which is dyed in the pathology laboratory, is examined and evaluated under a microscope. Liquid-based cytology is more sensitive in detecting precancerous lesions than conventional smear. Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) can also be determined by thin smear technique or liquid-based screening.

What is the Importance of Smear Test?

Generally, the transition of cervical normal cells to cancer cells is not sudden. Asymptomatic precancerous diseases are detected during this period in those who have a smear test once a year. Treatment of precancerous diseases is very easy and successful. The patient is detected before being diagnosed with cancer and is treated without requiring major treatment procedures. Thus, he gets rid of any cancer that may occur. Cervical Cancer (Cervix Cancer) is rarely encountered in countries that can have Smear Tests done once a year and make this practice available to all people.