For the most accurate Pap smear, doctors recommend taking the following steps, starting 48 hours before your test. Don’t have sex or use lubricants. Don’t use sprays or powders near your vagina.

We know no one looks forward to pap smears. Here, ob/gyns share how to make a Pap smear easier on you and your vagina. ... then uses one or two brushes to collect cells from your cervix.

Pap smears help doctors look for cervical cancer, but can they detect HIV too? ... Your doctor will then use a soft brush and paddle or a broom-like device to gather cells from your cervix.

In a traditional Pap smear, a medical provider uses a plastic brush with bristles to gather cells, so this could be another reason why the at-home Pap is not as unpleasant.

The Pap smear is a screening tool for detecting cervical cancer cells. It is important for preventing cervical cancer. By diagnosing cancer in its early stages, it makes effective treatment possible.