My heart sunk when I read the letter. I had tested positive for HPV and my smear test result was "inadequate". I could almost hear my pulse thudding in my chest. I had no idea what this result meant ...

A pap smear (or pap test) is a screening for cervical cancer. It involves taking cells from the cervix and vagina and examining them under a microscope. The test is looking for cervical ...

It is possible to have an abnormal smear but a normal colposcopy result. This can happen when someone has a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection but no precancerous mutations in the cervix. Cervical ...

Maybe you had a bad experience with your last Pap smear and you’re wary of going back to the ob-gyn. Or maybe you’ve never had one before and are scared to make the appointment. It’s understandable to ...

ATS 2010, NEW ORLEANS— Direct Immunofluorescence Assay (DFA) testing for H1N1 influenza ("swine flu") is unreliable in ICU patients, according to a new study from Stanford University. Multiple methods ...