FOR most women, smear or Pap tests are an uncomfortable but necessary chore. More properly known as cervical cancer screening tests, they usually involve lying down with your legs apart while a doctor or nurse swabs some cells from the top of your vagina.
No one likes it, but it is not usually painful and quickly over with. If anything is wrong, a simple surgical procedure can remove the affected tissue before it develops into something more sinister. In the UK, most women between 25 and 64 are regularly offered tests and usually accept, however grudgingly.
