You have spent a lot of time caring for others... now it is time to take care of yourself.

What can you do to prevent cervical cancer?

Get a Pap test.

• A Pap test is a simple, painless test to detect abnormal cells in and around the cervix.
  
  

  The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus, or womb.  The cervix opens into the vagina, which leads to the outside of the body.

  
  
  
• A Pap test can find abnormal changes in the cervix before they turn into cancer. When the abnormal changes are found early, they can be treated and cancer can usually be prevented.
• A pap test can also find infections caused by yeast, bacteria, and viruses.

How is the Pap test done?

Before the exam

You will go into an exam room where a nurse will ask you about your health. The nurse will ask you to take off your clothes and put on a paper or cloth gown. The nurse will ask you to lie down on the exam table and to place a sheet over your stomach and legs. The nurse will ask you to let your knees fall to the side and to put your feet in holders called stirrups.

Having the exam

The doctor or nurse will look at the area around your vagina to see if you have any signs of infection or other problems. The doctor will open your vagina with a speculum. The speculum is a thin piece of plastic or metal that looks like a duck bill. The doctor or nurse will use a swab to take a few cells from your cervix. The cells are put on a glass slide and sent to a lab. The lab will check these cells for infections and cancer.

After the Pap test, the doctor or nurse will also do a pelvic exam. During the pelvic exam, the doctor or nurse will check your tubes, ovaries, and uterus by putting two gloved fingers inside your vagina. With the other hand, the doctor or nurse will feel from the outside for any lumps or tenderness. This only takes a few minutes.

Remember...

• A Pap test can find changes in the cervix before they turn into cancer.
• You should have a Pap test every year if you are 18 years old or older, or if you are younger than 18 and sexually active.
• For 48 hours before your Pap test:
  • Do not douche
  • Do not have sex
  • Do not use a tampon
    
    You may be able to get a free or low-cost Pap test and pelvic exam from the WV Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program.

To find out where to get a free or low-cost Pap test and pelvic exam:

• Ask your doctor or nurse,
• Call your local health department or clinic, or
• Call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

This program is offered by the West Virginia DHHR, Bureau for Public Health, and OMCFH . . . a message from the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center of West Virginia University. The WVBCCSP is supported by cooperative agreement number U57/CCU306741 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).