Cervical Smear Testing Have you had an abnormal smear and want to know NOW if you are at risk of developing cancer of the cervix? Since its introduction 50 years ago the conventional Pap (cervical) smear test has become the most widely used cancer screening test in the world. However the test does have limitations and most of these have been traced to the sampling. Up to 80% of the cervical cells collected are thrown away with the traditional spatula collection device. Sampling is a factor in 90% of false negative results. Up to 40% of all Pap smears are compromised by blood, mucus and debris. Developed by the Cytyc Corporation in the United States during the late 1990’s the ThinPrep Pap Test replaces the traditional method of taking the cervical smear, using a spatula and smearing the cervical sample on the slide. How ThinPrep works In the ThinPrep Pap Test the cervical sample is taken using a small plastic broom instead of the wooden spatula. The sample is deposited into a preserving solution. At the laboratory the sample is specially filtered to reduce the blood, mucus and debris collected during the examination. A thin even layer of cervical cells is then automatically deposited onto a slide to allow all the cells to have a precise microscopic examination. This makes it easier for the cytologist to read the sample and thereby reducing the number of patient recalls. Not only is the sample used to detect changes in the cervical cells (as in the conventional Pap smear) but can also show if the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) DNA and Chlamydia DNA are present. At WellCare we only offer the ThinPrep pap test with the HPV test. This way if your pap test was abnormal we can immediately see if the abnormalities are due to the presence of HPV. If HPV is present then we can organise your care plan. If HPV is not present then we can say that the changes are not due to cancerous or pre cancerous cells. WellCare is committed to providing the latest and most effective tests and treatments available which is why since 1998 we have only used Thin Prep in the WellCare cervical cancer screening programme.