During the routine procedure, cells from your cervix are gently scraped away and examined for abnormal growth. The procedure is done at your doctor’s office. It may be mildly uncomfortable, but ...

Getting a Pap smear isn’t high on most people’s list, but it’s the go-to test to look for cervical changes that could lead to cancer. So, most women endure it every three or so years. Now, there’s a ...

Each year, about 14,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in the U.S., but thanks to Pap smears, deaths from the disease have dropped significantly over the past few decades. The test, which ...

On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a first-of-its-kind at-home cervical cancer screening tool in an effort to provide a more accessible alternative to Pap smear tests. The goal ...

Let's be honest: Pap smears are terrible. Every year, I stare at the ceiling and try my hardest to ignore the scraping of my insides. In the age of AI chatbots and self-driving cars, how has no one ...

Dear Doctors: It’s time for my daughter to have a Pap smear, but she’s putting it off because it was so painful last time. I wonder if switching to a female doctor might help? It’s a very unpleasant ...

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Do you have a medical question you'd like to get a doctor's answer honest answer to? Dr. Mara Gordon, a family physician in Camden, N.J., answers reader health questions monthly. Write us at ...