Been a while since your last pap smear?

If you’ve been putting off going for regular pap smear, you could be putting your health at serious risk.

While it may be uncomfortable, this health screening is hugely important. In fact, that little bit of discomfort could be the difference between life and death.  

“A pap smear is a screening test that can detect precursors and early-stage disease of cervical cancer,” explains Dr Okezie Amaechina, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Mediclinic Muelmed. “A woman lies on the gynaecological examination couch and a speculum is passed through the private part to access the cervix, where a sample is collected for cytological examination in the laboratory.” It’s all over in a minute, but the pap smear can make a big difference to the rest of your life.

According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in South Africa but it is the cancer that South African women die of most. That’s why it’s so important not to delay your pap smear screening. “Delaying screening may result in late detection of cervical cancer which, in turn, may result in increase in morbidity and mortality from cervical cancers,” cautions Dr Amaechina. 

A study published in BMC Public Health in 2021 found that the average age of South African women starting to go for cervical cancer screening was 40.8 years – a worrying statistic. “In south Africa screening is initiated at age 25,” says DR Amaechina. “However, if a women is HIV positive, diabetic or has evidence of HPV infection, she can start earlier.” Dr Amaechina says women with a history of HIV, immunosuppression, or in utero exposure to diethylstilbesterol (DES) have a higher risk of cervical cancer. 

A pap smear is not something you do once-off and then you never have to think about it again. Cervical cancer can develop at any stage so it’s important to keep going for regular screenings. This way, if it does occur, you can catch it in the early stages before it gets more advanced and serious. Dr Amaechina recommends going every year if you’re HIV positive or every three years if you’re HIV negative and your pap smear results came back negative previously. You can have a pap smear screening done by a nurse, clinical associate or a doctor.