Women's Health

Here are definitions of medical terms related to premenstrual syndrome. Aerobic exercise: Exercise in which the body’s need for oxygen is increased. This is usually exercise for a sustained period of time in which the heart rate is mildly elevated. Diuretic: A medicine that increases the body’s removal of water. Dysmenorrhea: Pain that occurs in the uterus and […]

Here are some reliable sources that can provide more information on premenstrual syndrome. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists  Phone: 202-638-5577 http://www.acog.com Information and referral to specialists. The website for the US Department of Health & Human Services Office of Women’s Health. Provides news, events, and information on a variety of women’s health topics. National

Here is a summary of the important facts and information related to Pap smear. The Pap smear is the only procedure that can detect early cancerous or potentially cancerous conditions of the cervix and vagina. The Pap smear is a screening technique. It is used to detect abnormalities in women who do not have any disease symptoms. It

Here are definitions of medical terms related to Pap smear. AGUS: Stands for Atypical Glandular Cells of Undetermined Significance. This diagnostic category indicates that light changes in cells in cervical glands have been seen under the microscope. ASCUS: Stands for Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance. This diagnostic category indicates that slight changes in flat cells on

Here are some reliable sources that can provide more information on Pap smear. American Cancer Society  Phone: 1-800-ACS-2345 http://www.cancer.org/ National Cancer Institute Cancer Information Service  Phone: 1-800-4-CANCER http://www.nci.nih.gov/ Helpful Web Articles Pap Smears: What, Who, Why & When http://www.ascp.org/general/pub_resources/papsmear/questions.asp Understanding your Pap Smear: Limiting Factors http://www.ascp.org/general/pub_resources/papsmear/limiting.asp from the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, Chicago, Illinois

A woman who is still menstruating should schedule a Pap smear about two weeks after the start of the menstrual period. That’s the stage of the cycle when the doctor can obtain the clearest, cleanest sample of cervical cells. A woman who has reached menopause can schedule a Pap smear at any time of the

A Pap smear is performed in a doctor’s office, hospital, or clinic by a doctor physician assistant nurse midwife nurse practitioner or other specially trained healthcare provider. Each of these professionals is also qualified to perform a pelvic examination, which can help detect cancer in female reproductive organs other than the cervix. During a pelvic examination, the

At the laboratory, a Pap smear is examined by a cytotechnologist, a professional specially trained to recognize abnormal cells that could indicate the presence of cancer or a precancerous condition. If the cytotechnologist spots something suspicious, a pathologist, a doctor who specializes in identifying diseases under a microscope, studies the slide and classifies the cell

Laboratories use one of two systems to classify Pap smear results. Traditional Reporting System The older system classifies each cell sample as Class I Normal Class II Atypical Class III Mild, moderate, or severe abnormality Class IV Carcinoma in situ, that is, a growth that has the characteristics of cancer cells but has not yet reached

Laboratories generally report Pap smear results to the doctor a few weeks after the test is performed. The doctor then calls the patient to notify her of her test results mails test results to the patient makes the results available to the patient upon request Do not assume the test was normal if the doctor

The Pap smear is the most effective cancer screening method in medical history. But even the most conscientious laboratories sometimes classify normal cell samples as suspicious or overlook abnormalities among the half million cells on each slide. This may be due to the fact that using the conventional Pap testing technique: as much as 80

At least half of all women (50 to 80 percent) whose Pap smears are classified as abnormal don’t have cervical cancer don’t have a condition that will become cervical cancer For a woman who has regular Pap smears, abnormalities detected by the test are most apt to be very early precancers. It can take as