Understanding the Pap Smear: What's the Small Black Box?

A Pap test, also known as a Pap smear, is a test for women to check for cervical cell changes. These changes may be benign or may lead to cervical cancer. For this reason, it is important that women see their health care provider regularly for a Pap test.

Considerations

• Most women over the age of 21 should get a Pap test regularly. Your health care provider will tell you how frequently you should have the test.

Process

• A Pap test is usually conducted with a pelvic exam. While a woman lies on an exam table, a speculum is inserted into her vagina. A small brush or other instrument is inserted through the speculum and is used to gather cells on and near the cervix. These cells are placed on a slide and analyzed.

Black Box

• In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration approved two technologies "for automated computer-assisted evaluation of cervical cytology smears" as a safeguard after a health care professional evaluated the cells. In 1998, AutoPap, one of the technologies, was approved for primary screening use allowing professionals to examine the cells secondarily. AutoPap has been referred to as a "black box" by Alan Nelson, president of AutoPap's distributor, NeoPath.