Getting A Pap Smear Test At Arleta Urgent Care Clinic

Pap smears are vital tests done to screen for abnormal cells in the cervix region. Abnormal cells may be cancerous or precancerous, therefore this is a life-saving test done at Arleta Urgent Care. If you decide to have a Pap Smear test in Arleta Urgent Care, we perform it with the HPV test. An unclear or abnormal Pap smear result may be a sign of infection, another problem, or cancer.

A Pap Smear Test: What Is It?

A Pap smear test, sometimes called a Pap test, is a cancer screening test done at our clinic to find out if there are abnormal cells in the cervical region and if these abnormal cells are precancerous or cancerous. When performing a Pap smear test, doctors at Arleta Urgent Care extract cells from the cervix and put them under a powerful microscope to see if there are abnormal cells that can cause cancer. Our Pap Smear test is also used to check for inflammations and infections in the cervix. 

When should I have a Pap smear Test?

A pap smear is often used to detect changes in cervical cells that can turn out to be cancerous. In case the doctor detects cancerous or precancerous cells, getting early treatment will increase the chances of fighting and defeating it with an effective treatment plan. Your overall health and whether the doctor detected abnormal cells in the past will determine how often you need to go to clinic. 

How frequent you need to go for these tests will depend on the following factors:

• HIV status
• Medical history 
• Age
• If a person's immune system is not strong enough due to HIV 
• exposure to diethylstilbestrol before birth 

Arleta Urgent Care Recommends

• Women who are 25 to 65 years old go for Pap Smear tests after five years.
• Once a woman turns 65 years old, the Pap Smear test won't be necessary. Risk factors are not the same for every woman. 
• Frequent pap smear tests are necessary for women who are sexually active or those who have multiple sexual partners. 
• A woman who had the hysterectomy procedure to eliminate precancerous or cancerous cells should not stop going for the Pap Smear test. 
• People have different gynecological needs, and therefore, it is important to seek medical advice from a gynecologist. 

See More: The Benefits Of Visiting An Arleta Urgent Care Clinic

Pap Smear Test Preparation

It is not a good idea to get a pap smear test during your periods. Bleeding may produce inconsistent results. You can ask our gynecologist to schedule the Pap Smear test for another day if it falls on the same day as your period. To get more accurate results, you need to adhere to the following 48 hours before the procedure:

• Abstain from sex
• Avoid lubricants 
• Don't use powders and sprays around the vagina. 
• Avoid inserting things like tampons, creams, suppositories, or medication.
• Avoid using water, vinegar, or any other fluid to clean the vagina(douche).

Pap Smear Procedure

Getting a pap smear test in Arleta is often done after consulting with our gynecologist. Both the patient and our doctor should come to an understanding of the appropriate time to get the Pap Smear test. The patient needs to lie while her legs are held firmly with stirrups. Spreading your legs will allow the doctor to insert a plastic or metal tool called a speculum into the vagina. The doctor will then open this tool while it's inside to widen the vagina walls. Doing this will allow the ob-gyn from Arleta Urgent Care to access the cervical region. Our doctor uses a swab to collect cells from the cervix. The sample is then put into a liquid substance and sent to one of our labs to undergo various tests and evaluations. Getting our Smear test does not hurt as many people think. You will only feel a little pressure or pinch. 

After the Pap smear Test

Once you have had your pap smear test, you can return to your normal working routine. The type of pap smear test will determine how our doctor handles the collected sample. Most of the time, our doctors transfer the cell sample into a jar that contains a particular liquid. This type of pap smear test is known as a liquid-based Pap test. If a sample is put into a glass slide, the type of pap smear test is called a conventional Pap Smear. The samples are then taken to our clinic and examined under a microscope. This is done to check for characteristics that show the presents of abnormal, cancerous, or precancerous cells. 

Benefits of Arleta Pap Smear Test

• Going for a Pap Smear test allows you to know your status when it comes to cervical cancer and other related cervical health issues. 
• Cervical cancer can develop without any symptoms; therefore, having Pap Smear tests regularly allows our doctors to direct cell abnormalities early. 
• Our Pap smear test allows you to get treated early enough before the cancerous cells spread to other parts of the reproductive system. 
• When our doctors detect abnormal cells that can cause cancer, the patient will undergo less treatment and less recovery time after treatment. 
• Chances of survival are greater when cervical cancer is detected early. 

Arleta Pap Smear Results

Once the Pap Smear tests are done, our doctor transmits the results to the doctor who interprets them. Our doctor will inform the patient about the outcome of the test and explain to the patient what the results mean. There are two ways that Arleta Pap Smear results can go. The result can either be negative (normal) or positive (abnormal). Negative or normal results mean that aberrant cervical cells were not there. It also means that there are no malignant cells in the cervix. We advise patients to go for extra tests and wait for the forthcoming pap smear tests. 

Normal result

Getting normal results means that everything is fine since abnormal cells were not detected in the cells sample. It also means that our doctor did not find cancerous or precancerous cells in the sample. Once you have undergone a Pap smear and you get negative/normal results, the next test will be after three years. 

Abnormal result

Abnormal results may turn out for various reasons, including:

• Cancer or pre-cancer
• Lab test error
• Minor cells changes (dysplasia) or Mild inflammation
• HPV or other infection

Upon receiving an abnormal result, our doctors will request for more tests to be done. This may be immediately or after six months. The severity of the cell's change will dictate when the next test will be done. 

Why Visit An Arleta Urgent Clinic For PAP Smears?

Seeking a proper pap smear test at Arleta Urgent Care offers many benefits. Our medical care facility offers high-quality medical services to patients who require immediate health care services or instant care. Accessing healthcare services in our Arleta Urgent Care Clinic doesn't take time. Patients can rely entirely on Arleta Urgent Care for acute medical conditions and injuries. 

Arleta Pap Smear Test Cost 

You need to be ready to part with between $20 to $50 if you intend to get a Pap smear test in Arleta. Arleta pap smear test cost can vary depending on whether the procedure will require preparatory medications. A Pap smear cost may also go up to $600 if the gynecologist performs any other test related to our Pap Smear test. If you have health insurance coverage, you can count on your insurance provider to pay for the cost of performing the Pap Smear test. 

Conclusion

The gynecological health of a woman is quite important and should be taken seriously. Our Pap Smear test is a preventive type of health care that allows you to test and detect the presence of cervical cancer. This test takes a very short period to perform, and it is also painless. Our doctors often perform the Pap Smear test with the pelvic examination. You should purposely go for a regular pap smear test in Arleta even if no one in the family developed cervical cancer. Cervical cancer screening is crucial because it helps to reduce morbidity and mortality rates caused by cervical cancer. 

If you have any questions about the pap smear test, please do not hesitate to contact us at 818-746-2626 or Schedule an Appointment.