What is Pap Smear? 

A pap smear is a laboratory test that aims to detect cervical (cervix) cancer in women. With a pap smear, abnormal cells in the cervix that can develop into cancer will be seen.

The pap smear procedure is done by taking a sample of a woman’s cervical cells, which will be further studied in the laboratory. If Mom does pap smears regularly, the cervix will be well monitored, and cervical cancer can be seen early. So Mom will be advised to undergo further examination.

A pap smear examination can be done by women aged 21 years and over who have active sexual intercourse and is recommended every 3 years. As for women aged 30-65, this examination can be done every 5 years but must be combined with the HPV examination.

However, pap smears can be high risk for women who have the factors below:

• Have a family history of cervical cancer
• Had an abnormal result (pre-cancerous lesion) in a previous pap smear
• Have HIV
• Have a smoking habit
• Exposed to or using the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES)

Questions About the Pap Smear Examination

Perhaps there are still many women out there who are not aware of the importance of a Pap smear examination due to a lack of information. Though this examination can detect the possibility of cervical cancer early.

Some frequently asked questions about Pap smears: 

1. How is a Pap smear done?
   When the doctor performs a Pap smear, Moms will be asked to lie on the examination table with both legs open and foot support. Next, the doctor inserts a tool that resembles a duckbill to open the vagina, then swabs the cervix with a cotton swab to collect cell samples.
2. What needs to be prepared for a Pap smear examination?
   Before Mom wants to do a Pap smear examination, it is advisable not to have sex or wash the vagina for at least 2-3 days. Doing so is important for the results to be accurate. It is also recommended to do a Pap smear a few days after or before menstruation. 
3. How much does a Pap smear cost at Kehamilan Sehat?
   Now Kehamilan Sehat is adding Pap smear services for Moms who need this examination. There are approximately 4 branches of Kehamilan Sehat that serve Pap smears at Kehamilan Sehat Duren Sawit, Kehamilan Sehat Prime Alam Sutera, Kehamilan Sehat Prime Ceger, and Kehamilan Sehat Palem Semi.

Each branch has different Pap smear prices, Moms. Kehamilan Sehat Duren Sawit pap smear costs start from Rp600,000, Kehamilan Sehat Prime Alam Sutera pap smear costs start from Rp 500.000, Kehamilan Sehat Prime Ceger pap smear costs start from Rp 800.000, and Kehamilan Sehat Palem Semi pap smear costs start from Rp 640.000.