First Pap Test Coming Up And Scared!... Advice??? Posted: 09-17-06 20:11pm
Can anyone give me some advice??
Iam 16 started on birth control in late
january '06 and ive had to cancle my last
2 pap test because of school and work.
So now on sept. 31st im going for my
first one and I was cruious if there was
any way to lower the discomfort of it.
Anothing thing I curious about is like...
What does the doctor spacificaly do? And
how long should I be wating for the result
of the test??
Thanks for anyone who can help!!
-billabong2
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Ingi
Supporter
Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 8781 Location: Grinning like a Cheshire Cat,
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Posted: 09-17-06 21:22pm
A pap smear is a yearly test all sexually
active women need to get. It tests for
abnormal cells on the cervix. It does not
test for stds unless you request those
specific tests.
It generally takes approximately a week or
two to get the test results back. You are
usually only notified if you do have an
abnormal pap, otherwise they don't bother
sending a letter.
It is not uncomfortable physically. If
you are concerned, take some ibuprofen
about 1/2 hour before your appointment.
The doctor will use a speculum (sp?) to
hold open the vagina. These tend to be
plastic now and not as uncomfortable as
the old metal (and always very cold!) kind
that sometimes pinched. Then s/he'll look
inside and scrape a very long q-tip on
your cervix. It can be a little sensitive
feeling but it isn't painful. After that,
s/he'll take out the speculum and feel
inside with one hand and push on your
stomach with the other - they are feeling
how large your uterus is. They might tell
you something like you have a tipped
uterus (not uncommon and nothing is wrong
with that) or your uterus feels fine.
They also feel if your ovaries are
enlarged.
Then it is over. Oh, sometimes they do a
breast exam also.
It all takes about 10 minutes.
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billabong2
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 Jun 2006 Posts: 25
Posted: 09-17-06 21:34pm
If I stay really relaxed will there not be
as much pressure??? And nother thing I
forgot to ask is... Would it be ok if I
had sex the day before? Or is it not a
good idea?
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ANGELOS MAMA
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 1128 Location: , San Diego,California
Posted: 09-18-06 02:11am
Well pap smears are nothing.For me it was
a really quick in and out.Yeah it hurts
for the first time because its like there
trying to widen it.I think id be
okay.Unless your not feeling well.
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Tylanas
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 12985
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Posted: 09-18-06 02:32am
My first one didn't hurt at all, but i'd
already been having sex for a few months.
Then again, my first sexual encounter
didn't hurt either. A pap smear isn't
that bad :) just try to relax as much as
you can, and let the doc know if it is
hurting too much. I personally didn't
feel any pressure; I mean I obviously felt
the widening of my vagina and the entrance
but I wouldn't call that pressure really.
As for the swab touching the cervix, I
don't believe I felt that either. Some
women have a lot of sensation inside their
vaginas and some don't :)
also, at the planned parenthood I went to,
the speculum was metal, but heated ;) that
was an odd sensation, haha!
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JUNGLE JUICE
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Sep 2006 Posts: 82 Location: Barbados
Dont Worry Posted: 09-18-06 02:48am
Relax xxx
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rachelnicole
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 86
Posted: 09-19-06 18:01pm
The speculum just made me feel as though I
needed to empty my bladder. Of course, I
had lost my virginity several years before
and had been wearing insteads for almost a
year, so I was a bit stretched out. The
doctor and nurse were talking to me while
the exam was going on, and I didn't even
feel the pap smear. All of a sudden, the
doctor was taking his gloves off, and I
said, "wait! I thought you were going to
do a pap smear!" and he replied that he
had just done it. :)
just don't be embarrassed. Adopt the
mindset of someone in labor; they never
seem embarrassed or self-conscious when
the doctor is examining them (although I
don't know if you've ever been in the room
when the doctor has come in to check the
mom-to-be's cervix). It's simply
something that has to be done.
Feel free to send me a private message or
im me if you'd like in-depth information.
:)
-rachel
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Ingi
Supporter
Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 8781 Location: Grinning like a Cheshire Cat,
Thanks: 161
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Posted: 09-19-06 18:07pm
No sex or douching within 24 hours of your
pap test.
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Tylanas
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 12985
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Posted: 09-19-06 18:09pm
Says who? They didn't tell me that at my
pap smear.
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rachelnicole
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 86
Posted: 09-19-06 18:36pm
It's true, actually... And no tub baths,
either.
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Tylanas
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 12985
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Posted: 09-19-06 20:30pm
Alright, but what's the health reason
behind this urban legend?
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rachelnicole
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 86
Posted: 09-19-06 20:41pm
*smiles politely* it's actually not an
urban legend. Probably if you consult
your gynecologist about it, they will have
assumed you already knew this, and that's
why they didn't tell you. :)
the reason behind it is that putting
things 'up there' or douching or taking a
tub bath removes/adds/changes the stuff
that's normally on your cervix. They
don't want your boyfriend's semen to show
up on your pap smear, because that would
make it abnormal. And if you douche or
take a tub bath, you might wash away some
of the cells they actually want to study.
Either way, it would stink if you had to
get it re-done or if you needed a
colposcopy just because you and your
boyfriend couldn't wait one day. ;)
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fairygrl
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Nov 2006 Posts: 1
Posted: 11-18-06 10:02am
I dont know how it would feel bc I never
had one but im here for you! And I hope
it all goes ok
