Happy 21st! It’s Time To Get A Pap Smear

BY KRISTIN GJELAJ

The most anticipated day in a college girls life: her 21st birthday. Pink and gold decorations suffocate a tiny apartment, while free alcohol, an inedible cake with a dismantled Barbie and an electric pregame ultimately prepare her for entrance to the wooden doors of the Phyrst. A 21st birthday is a day to be celebrated — in its entirety — but it also marks a critical point in the reproductive health cycle for women. Ladies, happy 21st, but your pap smear appointment is calling!

A Papanicolaou test, or Pap test, is a procedure to examine the health of the cervix in a woman. The cervix is a cylinder-shaped neck of fibromuscular tissue that functions as a connection between the vagina and uterus. The Pap test involves collecting a sample of cells located inside the cervix to test for any abnormalities which may link to possible cervical cancer.

Before the age of 21, cervical cancer is extremely rare in women, regardless of any level of sexual activity. Women before the ages of 21 and over the ages of 65 are not encouraged to visit a gynecologist for a Pap smear. Frankly, any found abnormality will likely return to normal with no medical treatment. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a Pap smear before the age of 21 may even do more harm than good for some females.

At the age of 21, the Pap smear exam is used to screen for potential cervical cancer through the examination of precancerous cells. According to Cancer Council Victoria, “Although precancerous cells cause no symptoms, high-grade abnormalities have the potential to develop into early cervical cancer over about 10 to 15 years if they are not detected and treated.” Therefore, the ACOG recommends women in their twenties to schedule a Pap test for every three years.

Leading up to a Pap test, you can take specific actions to ensure your appointment runs as smoothly as possible! The build up to your first Pap test can be both uncertain and anxiety-ridden. It is important to note that this procedure is routine and goes more smoothly if the body is relaxed.

Practice regulating your breathing. Contact the gynecologist’s office if questions or fears arise. A few days before, avoid sexual intercourse, douching, vaginal medicines or using spermicidal products. These may all interfere with your results and threaten inaccuracy. Do your best to schedule your Pap test away from your menstrual cycle. Your period can also be a contaminator.

University Health Services (UHS) at Penn State contains a women’s health division that aims to provide accessible health care in support of women’s reproductive health. Therefore, Penn State students always have access to resources at their convenience. Appointments can be scheduled through the “myUHS” portal.

The division is composed of hardworking health care workers with a passion for empowering women. Physician’s Assistant, Dyani Ratchford, has worked in the women’s health field for 20 years — six at UHS.

UHS offers two of the best preventive methods of cervical cancer: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and Pap test.

“We have the Gardasil-9 vaccine,” Ratchford says. “That protects us from nine of the most common strains of HPV that can lead to cervical cancer.”

Ratchford recommends that every woman receive the vaccine, even before the age of 21. The vaccine is the first medical measure that can be taken to prevent cervical cancer. UHS also offers routine Pap tests for students. Students can expect to receive their results two weeks after their exam.

“Cervical cancer is a slow growing process,” Ratchford says. “In the beginning stages it is very treatable. Unlike a lot of cancers, this is something we can do something about.”

As a college student, the precautions and preventive measures you take now can significantly decrease the likelihood of developing cervical cancer.

Go for routine Pap exams and gynecology checkins. Ensure that you are up-to-date with the HPV vaccine. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and causes 70% of the cervical cancer cases, according to the ACOG. Medical precautions allow doctors to take action before the cancer develops.

“For ovarian cancer, for instance, we don’t have a good screening test,” Ratchford says. “But we have this excellent screening test for cervical cancer that some of us take for granted.”

Use condoms. Condoms help reduce the risk of getting HPV. Condom users are less likely to be infected with HPV and, therefore, infect others. However, it is important to note that condoms do not prevent all infections.

Use spermicidal gels. Spermicidal gels contain chemicals that kill sperm and prevent pregnancy. Spermicide can be found in creams, films, foams and gels.

If you feel you have been exposed to any sexually transmitted infection, call your health care provider to schedule a testing appointment.

Quit any tobacco consumption. Smoking cigarettes doubles your risk of developing cervical cancer.

HPV is not sufficient to cause cervical cancer alone. Doctors encourage keeping an active, healthy lifestyle with good nutrition and a strong immune system to reduce the risk of further development.

Happy birthday! Congratulations to making it to 21! Before you cut up that fake ID, set the reminder in your phone. Give your gynecologist a call and take control of your reproductive health.

“With just about everything I do from minor decisions to major life choices, I’ve used all my experiences to shape and push me.”