How big is the pap smear tool

While it may be uncomfortable, a speculum should never be painful. If you start to feel pain, tell your doctor. They may be able to switch to a smaller speculum. This exam helps your doctor check for sexually transmitted infections — including HPV, which is a leading cause of cervical cancer — and other potential health problems.

A pelvic exam is a visual and physical examination of a woman's reproductive organs. Sexually transmitted infections STIs are a common condition, but testing is the only way to know for sure if you're living with one. Medical breakthroughs this past year helped us reduce the risks of COVID as well as make advancements in gene editing and cardiovascular health. If you're looking for longer-lasting hair removal, an epilator may be a great choice.

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What to expect during a pelvic exam. What is a Pap smear? Are there any risks from a speculum? You can always ask for a smaller speculum to help reduce the discomfort of the test. Ask to put it in yourself, too, if you think this will make the test easier. You know your vagina. Skip to content Close Menu Home.

Popular lifehacks. Helpful tips. Common questions. Home Other Do Pap smear tools come in different sizes? Table of Contents. Related Posts. Putting anything in your vagina could disturb any abnormal cells in your cervix and make your pap smear results inaccurate. Ask if you should pee right before the test. A lot of doctors will ask for a urine sample before the exam, so call ahead to find out if this is something your doctor will want you to do. Some kinds of medications, like hormonal birth control pills, can affect your pap test results.

Give your doctor a full list of any medicines or supplements you use so that they can interpret your test results as accurately as possible. Part 2. Take off your clothes from the waist down. After taking your medical history, the nurse or doctor will hand you a paper gown or sheet and ask you to take off your shoes, pants, and underwear.

In these cases, they may ask you to take off your top and bra, too. Lie down on the exam table and put your feet in the stirrups. Climb onto the exam table and lie down on your back, then put your heels in the stirrups at the end of the table.

Relax your legs and allow your knees to fall open. Breathe deeply and try to relax as much as possible. This will help you feel calmer and will make it easier for the doctor to perform the exam. Expect your doctor to examine the outside of your pelvis and vulva. Most of the time, your doctor will want to do a pelvic exam at the same time as your pap smear. They might have to spread the labia lips of your vulva so they can get a better look. Allow your doctor to insert a lubricated speculum into your vagina.

The speculum may be made of plastic or metal. This tool will allow the doctor to open up your vagina so they can easily see inside and take a swab of your cervix.

This may feel a little uncomfortable, so take deep breaths and do your best to relax. Once the speculum is inside, the doctor will open it a little to help spread open the walls of your vagina. Let your doctor know if anything hurts. Let them swab your cervix to sample some cells. To take the pap smear, your doctor will insert a long brush or cotton swab into your vagina through the speculum.

Depending on how sensitive your cervix is, this might pinch or sting a little bit. You should immediately feel a lot more comfortable after that! You might experience a little spotting or light bleeding after the exam. This is totally normal, and should be gone in a day or two. Be ready for your doctor to do an internal exam with their fingers. After the pap smear, your doctor may use 1 or 2 fingers to feel the inside of your vagina while also pressing down on your lower belly with their other hand.

This will help them check the position of your organs and feel for anything unusual, like lumps or masses inside your pelvic area. In some cases, they might also feel inside your rectum. Once the exam is over, your doctor will step out and give you a few minutes to get dressed. You can also take this opportunity to wipe yourself with tissues or paper towels, since you may be a little messy from the lubricant.

Part 3. Ask your doctor when you can expect to get your test results. Once the test is done, the doctor will send the cell sample to a lab for testing.

It usually takes weeks for the test results to come back, but your doctor should be able to give you a more accurate estimate.

Ask them if you can expect them to call you or if the results will be posted in an online chart for you to view. Schedule a follow-up if there are any abnormal results. Most of the time, pap smear test results come back normal.