Cervical smear - PAP test is a preventive gynaecological testwhich checks for the presence of cells on the cervix (this is the lower part of the uterus that connects the womb to the vagina) healthy or abnormal.
It is designed early detection of precancerous lesions and cervical cancer.
A gynaecologist examining a woman with a small wooden paddle and a small brush gently removes cells from the cervixand sends the sample to the laboratory, where it is examined under a microscope. The procedure takes just a few secondsIt is not painful but may be slightly uncomfortable.