What is a pap test?
A pap test (or pap smear)
is a screening test to look for cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is
curable if it is caught in its early stage.
The pap test is also able
to detect abnormal cells before they become cancerous cells.
It is performed by
collecting a small sample of cells from the cervix. This is done by very
gently scraping the cervix with a brush and a small flat stick (shaped
like a spatula). The cells are then sent to the laboratory for
evaluation.
The procedure is painless
and only takes a few minutes.
You will want to schedule your
appointment for a pap test when you are not on your menstrual period.
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Who should have a pap test?
All women
If
you have had three consecutive normal pap test results, future pap tests
can be done less frequently. Your health care professional can discuss
this with you.
Reference:
Saslow
D, Runowica C, Solomon D, et al. American cancer society guideline for
the early detection of cervical neoplasia and cancer. CA: A Cancer
Journal for Clinicians. 2002;52:342-362.
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Billing, Fees, and Insurance
Your pap smear test will be sent to Quest
Laboratories to be read by a licensed certified cytologist. The fee
charged by the laboratory can be billed to you directly.
If you have the Johns Hopkins Student
Health Insurance, the bill (or claim) will initially be submitted to the
insurance company. You will then receive an explanation of benefits (EOB)
in the mail and subsequently a bill for any remaining charges not
covered by the insurance company.
If you have private health insurance,
please note that your insurance company may require that your pap smear
test be performed by a laboratory other then Quest Laboratories. If this
is the case, then you may want to have your pap smear test performed by
your private physician who is within your insurance network.
If you know that your private health
insurance plan allows you to have your pap smear test performed at Quest
Laboratories, please let us know.
The cost of the Thin
Prep® pap test is $86.06*. There is no charge for the exam. Chlamydia
and gonorrhea screening tests are free of charge.
If human papilloma virus (HPV) is found on
the pap smear, there is an extra cost of $128.43* for identification of
the type of HPV found
*Last
updated
11/29/2006
. Prices subject to change.
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What
is HPV?
HPV
(human papilloma virus) is a very common virus. There are many different
types of HPV. Some types can cause warts on hands and feet. Other types
of HPV are sexually transmitted. The ones which infect the genital
area are the types of HPV which can be screened at an annual
gynecological exam. (In this section, we will only discuss HPV which
affects the genital area.)
In
most people, HPV causes no symptoms and is completely harmless. It is possible to be infected with HPV and not even know it.
Some individuals may
have genital warts as a visible sign of HPV.
In
other women, however, certain strains of HPV can cause changes in the cells
of the cervix. If
untreated, this can lead to cervical cancer.
Can
HPV be prevented?
Regular
condom use can decrease the incidence of transmitting HPV. However,
condoms are not completely effective.
In
the near future, there may be vaccines available for commercial use
which prevent against certain strains of HPV.
Can
HPV be treated?
There
is no treatment for the virus itself. However, there are treatments for
the manifestations of the virus (i.e. genital warts, cervical
cancer).
How
do I get tested for HPV?
A
pap smear test is recommended in women.
If
the pap smear test comes back with inconclusive results (atypical cells
of undetermined significance), then HPV testing can be done on the same
specimen which was obtained for the pap smear test. This may help
determine whether or not a woman is at increased risk for cervical
cancer. This may also help determine if a woman should undergo further
tests, such as a colposcopy.
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