Pap Smear???????????

What does the Dr. do during a pap smear??? Does it hurt?

The doctor will take an oversized qtip looking thing and rub it on the walls of your vagina - she/he is collecting samples to test for different diseases.

It is a little uncomfortable/embarrassing but in no way does it hurt.

You should get one done every year. Its important!

A Pap is something every woman dreed, but MUST do if your having sex it;s a must for u. If your woman enough to have sex this is a breeze. The doctor will collect a sample and sent it off for testing. TRUST me I had my first one at 16 and had a very serious problem and I thank God everday, for chances that I could have been sterile or even DEAD,

The first thing that will happen, is of course you are laying on your back staring up at the ceiling, with your knees bent, and your feet sticking in what might be considered a heel rest. The dr. then takes a metal instrument, cylindrical in shape, and inserts it into your vaginal opening. The dr. opens it up on the end, so as to insert a q tip shaped swab and takes a sample of the sides of the uterine wall. It is uncomfortable, but not painful. After that the dr. will remove the cylindrical object, and do an internal exam. This too, can be uncomfortable, but should not be painful. Good Luck.

An afterthought: If the doctor is male, request a nurse in the room with you.....

No, It doesn't hurt. If it's your first time, I would recommend seeing a lady Doctor. I have had both male and female doctors and just feel like the woman knows more because she has experienced cramps and such and can explain to you what's happenning during your first visit and what you will feel.

A Pap smear can be done in a doctor's office, a clinic, or a hospital by either a physician or other specially trained health care professional, such as a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, or a nurse midwife. With the woman positioned on her back, the clinician will often first examine the outside of the patient's genital and rectal areas, including the urethra (the opening where urine leaves the body), to assure that they look normal. A speculum is then inserted into the vaginal area (the birth canal). The speculum is an instrument that allows the vagina and the cervix to be viewed and examined. A cotton swab is sometimes used to clear away mucus that might interfere with an optimal sample.

A small brush called a cervical brush is then inserted into the opening of the cervix (the cervical os) and twirled around to collect a sample of cells. This sample, because it comes from inside the cervix, is called the endocervical sample ("endo" meaning inside). A second sample is also collected as part of the Pap smear and is called the ectocervical sample ("ecto" meaning outside). These cells are collected from a scraping of the area surrounding, but not entering, the cervical os. Both the endocervical and the ectocervical samples are gently smeared on a glass slide and a fixative (a preservative) is used to prepare the cells on the slide for laboratory evaluation.

A bimanual (both hands) exam usually follows the collection of the two samples for the Pap smear. The bimanual examination involves the examiner inserting two fingers of one hand inside the vaginal canal while feeling the ovaries and uterus with the other hand on top of the abdomen (belly).

The results of the Pap smear are usually available in 2 to 3 weeks. At the end of Pap smear testing, each woman should ask how she should expect to be informed about the results of her Pap smear. If a woman has not learned of her results after a month, she should contact her clinician's office.

A Pap smear is usually part of a pelvic exam and accompanied by a breast exam performed by the health care provider. It should only take about 1 minute to perform a Pap smear during this overall exam.

The woman will lie on the examination table (see Multimedia File 1) on her back with her knees up and bent and her feet in stirrups (rests). While she is lying on an examination table, her health care provider will use a small metal or plastic instrument called a speculum to open the vagina so that the walls of the vagina and cervix can be seen clearly.


A sample of mucus and cells will be obtained from the cervix (see Multimedia File 2) (the part of the uterus that extends into the vagina) and endocervix (the opening of the cervix) using a wooden scraper or a small cervical brush or broom.


The sample of cells is evenly applied to a glass slide and sprayed with a fixative. This sample is sent to the lab for close and careful examination under a microscope. If the doctor is using a new kind of Pap smear called a ThinPrep test, the sample is rinsed into a vial and sent to a lab for slide preparation and examination.


A cytologist (a specialist trained to look at the cells and interpret a Pap smear) reviews both types of tests.


Some discomfort during the test may occur. Most women feel nothing at all or feel pressure. Staying relaxed will help stop any discomfort. The woman should breathe slowly and concentrate on relaxing her stomach and legs.


A Pap smear should not be painful. If experiencing pain during the test, the woman should tell her doctor.