Wondering what to expect from a smear test? Learn why cervical screening matters, how the procedure works, and tips to make your appointment as comfortable and stress-free as possible.

During a Pap smear the most uncomfortable part will be when the doctor inserts a speculum into your vagina. However, the pain should be minimal and brief. Peter Dazeley/Getty Images A Pap smear is a ...

Smear test uptake has hit a record low in the UK, with more than a quarter of women invited for a screening failing to attend, research suggests. Screenings check for the human papillomavirus (HPV), ...

A smear test itself is a standard procedure. All women aged 25-49 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are invited for a cervical screening every three years (while in Scotland it's every five years ...

If a person receives a positive human papillomavirus (HPV) result from a Pap smear, they need a colposcopy to confirm the diagnosis. This is a minimally invasive procedure that healthcare ...

In 18 months' time, I will receive a letter I've been dreading. That letter will invite me to book an appointment for a smear test. My anxiety may seem a little unwarranted, but from talking to other ...

Researchers have found that testing period blood for signs of cervical cancer could be an accurate way of screening for the disease. Read: no more having a speculum shoved into you by a stranger every ...

I had smear-test anxiety long before I got my first invitation letter from my GP asking me to come in for my first cervical screening. And when it arrived, just after my 25th birthday, I still ...

A Pap smear is a procedure that screens for cervical cancer by testing cells for any abnormalities. If your Pap results are abnormal that does not mean you have cancer, and more likely indicates HPV.