Pap Smears

Lorena Tinoco, MD

OBGYN located in Coral Gables, FL

Because of routine Pap smear testing, cervical cancer went from being a major cause of death for women to an easily curable condition when it’s caught early. As a board-certified OB/GYN, Lorena Tinoco, MD, offers comprehensive well-woman and Pap smear evaluations in her private practice located in South Miami, Florida. Click on the online booking feature to schedule your Pap smear or call your nearest location directly.

305-477-5084

Pap Smear Q & A

Why do I need a Pap smear?

A Pap smear is a routine women’s wellness test that’s performed regularly for women of childbearing age and beyond. The Pap test simply involves gathering a small sample of cells from your cervix and vaginal tissues to have them evaluated at the lab.

This type of preventive screening helps detect abnormal cells that may turn into cancer. It also helps diagnose any cancerous cells that might be present. Because the Pap smear is a quick and highly efficient test to determine if you’re at risk of developing cervical cancer, it continues to be one of the most common tests women receive.

What do my Pap smear results mean?

Having a normal Pap smear — called a negative result — just means that you don’t have any abnormal cells and you don’t need further treatment. But just because you have an abnormal Pap test — positive result — doesn’t necessarily mean you need to worry. A positive Pap smear could be related to:

Infections, including a yeast infection
Noncancerous growths or cysts
Weakened immune system
Hormonal changes

If you have a positive Pap smear, Dr. Tinoco might recommend repeating the test again, or having a follow-up screening known as a colposcopy. A colposcopy allows Dr. Tinoco to take a closer look at areas of concern on your cervix and even perform a tissue biopsy to get a more conclusive evaluation to see if you have precancerous or cancerous cells.

How often do I need a Pap smear?

Typically, Dr. Tinoco recommends having your first Pap smear around the age of 21. As long as your results are normal (negative), you generally need a Pap test every three years until the age of 65. If you’re 30 or over and have a Pap smear with a human papillomavirus (HPV) test, you only need Pap tests every five years (if they’re normal).

Dr. Tinoco could recommend more frequent Pap smears if you’ve ever had an abnormal (positive) result in the past, or if you have a weakened immune system.

Book your Pap smear at the office of Lorena Tinoco, MD, directly through the online scheduler. You can also call either location to book your exam.