This page was reviewed or revised on Thursday, October 22, 2009 2:48 PM
Although 600 cases of cervical cancer cases will be reported in Ontario this year, no woman should die of cervical cancer because a PAP test can detect changes in cells on your cervix before they become cancerous.
Your doctor or health care provider does the PAP test by removing a small sample of cells from your cervix. These cells are sent to a laboratory to be looked at under a microscope.
Regular PAP tests help prevent cancer of the cervix. You can have changes in your cervix without experiencing symptoms or pain. Even small changes in the cells can progress to cancer if not treated. By having regular PAP tests these changes can be found and treated effectively preventing cancer of the cervix.
All women who have ever been sexually active need to have regular PAP tests. Even if you are not sexually active now or no longer have periods, you need regular PAP tests. If you have had a total hysterectomy in which both the uterus and cervix have been removed, talk with a doctor or nurse about whether you need to have PAP tests.
You should have a PAP test every year for the first three years after you become sexually active. If these first three tests are normal, your PAP test should be repeated at least every two years until you are 70.
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