PAP smears
Regular Pap smears are still the best way to prevent cervical cancer. Whether you are looking at just having a Pap smear annually or as part of a broader screening program, we are confident that we will be able to meet these needs comfortably.
Did you know?
- Women who have regular Pap smears are at lowest risk for having cancer of the cervix.
- Women who smoke have a higher risk of developing cervical cancer.
- Women who started having intercourse at a young age (younger than 16 years of age at first intercourse) have a higher risk of developing cervical cancer.
- Being infected with high-risk HPV types for a long period of time can increase a woman's risk of developing cervical cancer.
HPV vaccines
Whether you are a young woman interested in HPV vaccination for yourself or a fastidious mother concerned about protecting your daughters against the threat of cervical cancer and genital warts in later life, our team of specialists will help you decide if HPV vaccination is right for you.
Did you know?
- HPV only infects humans and prefers to infect the skin cells of the genitals.
- There are some 200 sub-types of HPV.
- Only 15 of these 200 sub-types have been implicated in cervical cancer.
- HPV infection is very common in the general population.
- Most women (>95%) are able to clear this viral infection on their own without the need for special vaccines or medicines.
- Only a very small percentage of women who are infected by HPV go on to develop cervical cancer.
At NUH Women's Centre, we are committed to providing innovation-driven healthcare to our patients. We are able to perform not only commercially available HPV testing but also HPV specific genotyping which identifies not only the broad risk type but the specific identity of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in question.
Colposcopy
Most abnormal Pap smear reports will need to be verified by a simple procedure known as colposcopy. Images of the cervix are stored digitally as a useful part of your medical record. These digitally archived images will never fade and can be referred to at any time. This enables our team of women's cancer specialists to track your progress and recovery and to ensure that you continue to remain disease-free and well.
Did you know?
- Colposcopy is performed with the aid of a magnifying scope to allow the cervix to be examined under good light and magnification.
- Colposcopy helps identify areas of the cervix that may undergoing pre-cancerous change which can then be treated, thus preventing cancer from developing.
- Colposcopy has been around since the early 1920s and still remains one of the most useful tools in detecting and preventing cervical cancer.
- That a dilute solution of acetic acid (otherwise known as vinegar) is used to help identify areas of the cervix that have undergone pre-cancerous change.