A pap smear takes only a few minutes, but can save the lives of women by detecting cervical cancer early and therefore giving a woman the opportunity to prevent or treat any abnormalities before they become life-threatening.
Cervical cancer screening is especially important for women’s health. Pap smear is one of the 10 appointments every woman should make.
A Pap smear, or Pap test, is a medical procedure that tests for premalignant or malignant cells on a woman’s cervix.
Read below three reasons why getting an annual Pap smear is so important.
1. Detect precancerous cells
According to research, pap smears can’t detect cancer itself but they can help detect abnormal and possibly precancerous cells. The results as listed below help a woman to know whether the cervical cells are normal or abnormal can help women seek out help before things get worse.
- Whether the sample was satisfactory
- Whether the sample was “within normal limits”
- Recommended follow up care
2. Early treatment
When malignant or precancerous cells are found early, your doctor may be able to discover what is causing the abnormal cells and help stop the mutation before the cells turn cancerous. Early treatment of abnormal cells may help reduce the risk for cervical cancer as well as other reproductive health issues.
3. Prevention
One of the best things a Pap smear can do is help prevent cancer before it starts by detecting precancerous cells early on. Detection and early treatment lead to cancer prevention, which may help save lives.
Having an annual Pap smear is the best way to help catch serious issues early on, before they become dangerous or untreatable, according to womansclinicpa.net.
