What happens during a Pap test?
A doctor or nurse practitioner does the test. She should explain each of her actions to you. You take off your panties and then lie on an examination table. If you ask to have the top part of the exam table raised up, you can see the doctor or nurse as she works. She puts on surgical gloves and then carefully inserts an instrument called a speculum into your vagina. Ideally, the speculum should be the smallest size needed to examine your vagina and should be warm to touch. The doctor or nurse should gently open the speculum so she can see the cervix. Next she uses a small flat wooden tool, a cotton swab, or a small brush to collect cells from your cervix. Sometimes a test for HPV (Human papillomarvirus) is also done at this time. She places the cell samples in a container and sends it to a laboratory where technicians (cytologists) examine the cells under a microscope.
