Although somewhat uncomfortable and embarrassing for some, the test takes only a few minutes and it could save your life. The health community currently recommends a yearly Pap test. Having a Pap test every year will ensure that changes to the cells of your cervix - are not missed and cancer doesn't develop. Studies have found that when women have fewer Pap tests, the cancer rate increases. A yearly Pap test can find cancer of the cervix at an early stage, when women have no signs or symptoms of being ill.
Women have a much greater chance of being cured when the cancer is found early.
Cancer of the cervix is the sixth most common cancer among Canadian women. Over 1,200 new cases are found each year. We still don't know what causes cancer of the cervix. However, we do know that once women become sexually active, their risk increases. Studies have shown that almost all cancer of the cervix can be prevented.