Pap smears or self-swabs?
There's a new option for cervical cancer screening. Learn its pros and cons—and what might be next.
- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
At the gynecologist's office, we know the drill: don a disposable gown, lie on the exam table, place our feet wide apart in stirrups, and wait for the doctor to insert a speculum, a metal tool that separates the vaginal walls and allows the doctor to insert a long swab to scrape cells from the cervix.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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