Cervical Screening Programme
Department of Health
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
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You may enquire whether the clinic has a female doctor or nurse on booking
your appointment for cervical smears. A female chaperone will usually
be present if the smear is to be taken by a male doctor. You should avoid
having the smear test when you are menstruating. Two days before the test,
you should avoid vaginal douching, use of spermicide, vaginal medicines
and sexual intercourse as these may hide or wash away abnormal cells.
If you have unusual vaginal discharge, you should consult a doctor to
treat the infection before having a cervical smear taken. Before the smear is taken, a short interview about your health and lifestyle
may take place. Doctors and nurses who participate in the Cervical Screening
Programme of Hong Kong will ask for your consent to transfer your personal
data and test results to the central registry (called the Cervical Screening
Information System, which is maintained by the Department of Health).
The cervical smear is a very safe test that only takes a few minutes.
You will be asked to lie down on your back or side on a couch with your
trousers and underpants taken off. You have to draw you knees up and spread
you legs apart in a relaxed way. The doctor or nurse will insert an instrument
(called speculum) into your vagina to allow visualization of your cervix
which is located deep inside the vagina. A small piece of wooden spatula
or plastic brush will then be inserted through the speculum to obtain
some cells sample from the surface of the cervix. Afterwards, the cells
sample will be smeared onto a glass slide or transferred to a bottle of
liquid for preservation. The speculum is removed and the test is finished.
The test should take only a few minutes. The specimen will then be sent
to the laboratory for examination under microscope. You should not feel any pain during the test if you are relaxed, but
some women may feel mild discomfort. Taking slow, deep breaths during
the test may help reducing discomfort. Tell the doctor or nurse to stop
if you feel very uncomfortable during the test. Sometimes, your doctor may also perform a vaginal examination after taking
the smear. This examination can help to detect any abnormality in your
genital organs. Under current arrangements, service providers may provide health education
during clinic visit. They will not contact women via telephone for history
taking on sensitive issue (e.g. sex-related) or asking them to perform
self-examination. If you have any query, please call the CSP hotline:
2961 8778
[Diagram showing how a cervical smear is taken ]Preparation
for Smear Taking
Smear Taking Procedure
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