Does the Pap Smear test hurt?
The test itself does not hurt in the true sense of the word. However, it is very uncomfortable which to some people might equal pain. If you imagine that someone is using a foreign object to artificially widen your vagina so they can peek at your cervix, yes, it hurts plenty! As I said, I won’t lie to you about this element of it but when I complained to my Mum about it, she said “So now you know!” because she knew it all along but did not want to scare me – Moms, don’t you love them? That said, it is a fairly quick procedure taking less than a minute to perform and the offending object is then removed. Whew! You may have some spotting of blood in the day or two following the test which is normal. When should the Pap test be done? The test is best done at the middle of the menstrual cycle, 7 or 10 days after the start of menstruation. The reason for this is because if you are too close to your menstrual cycle, the thickening of your cervix walls might mask any abnormalities or the horm
