{"id":9013,"date":"2019-11-26T09:16:31","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T14:16:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/?p=9013"},"modified":"2025-01-15T14:27:49","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T19:27:49","slug":"pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/","title":{"rendered":"Why you should never skip your Pap"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The proverb \u201can ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure\u201d could easily have been written about Pap smears. While it may not be the most comfortable of procedures, the Pap smear is definitely worth it: cases of cervical cancer fell by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2762353\/#R2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">70 percent<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the US in the decades after it was introduced. Here\u2019s everything you need to know about the dreaded and celebrated Pap smear.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What is a Pap smear and what does it test for?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are over 21, chances are your doctor has booked you for your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">first Pap test.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A Pap smear is part of a vaginal exam that screens for abnormalities in your cervical cells. It\u2019s not a diagnostic test, though. While it can indicate whether cells are normal or abnormal, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a Pap smear can\u2019t detect HPV<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cancer<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If the results come back abnormal, doctors will order further testing to narrow down the cause of the abnormality.\u00a0 In Canada, the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cost<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pap smear tests<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are covered under your provincial health insurance coverage.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>How is a Pap smear done?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pap smear procedure<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has &#8216;two <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">steps<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: a visual check and a cervical swab using a speculum. To begin, your doctor will have you remove your clothes and put on an oh-so-flattering backless medical gown. They\u2019ll get you to lie on your back on the examination table, spread your legs and stick your feet into the stirrups at the bottom of the table.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The doctor will begin with a visual examination of your vulva and the outer part of your vagina. They will then insert a speculum (a duckbill shaped instrument) into your vagina and use it to dilate (open) your vagina to see your cervix. Then, your doctor will insert a swab to remove some cervical cells to send for testing. Your doctor may also do a manual examination, to feel for any abnormalities in your reproductive organs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although some women experience spotting or light <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bleeding after<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pap<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the procedure shouldn\u2019t be painful. If you have pain, heavy bleeding, or spotting that lasts for more than a few days, it\u2019s a good idea to contact your doctor as it might be indicative of another problem. An unfortunate exception to this is <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">after menopause<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">painful Pap smear<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s become more common. This is due to a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/womens-health\/managing-postmenopausal-vaginal-atrophy\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">decline in estrogen levels<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which can cause dryness and extreme sensitivity in the vagina and cervix.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>How often should you get a Pap smear?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancerview.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Cervical-Cancer-Screening-Environmental-Scan_EN_2018.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">provincial guidelines<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Canada stipulate that if you\u2019re sexually active, you should get your first <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pap smear<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">age<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 21, and continue to receive them every three years until age 70. These guidelines change, however, if you have had cervical cancer or an abnormal Pap. In these cases, you\u2019ll need more frequent screening until you have a few clear tests under your belt.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pap smears screen<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cancer<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, abnormal cellular changes, and HPV, your doctor\u2019s visual inspection can sometimes spot other STIs such as herpes \u2014 but only if you have a visible outbreak. Many STDs, however, aren\u2019t readily diagnosable with a pap. And since STD checks aren\u2019t done routinely, if you think you may have an STD or may have been exposed, you should speak to your doctor about being tested.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>When to have a Pap smear<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you can get a Pap smear during your period<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, blood, tissue, and other foreign substances can obscure your doctor\u2019s view so you may want to reschedule if you have a particularly heavy flow. It\u2019s also best to abstain from both sex and douching (which is bad for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/vaginal-health\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">vaginal health<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> anyway), for 24 hours before your examination.\u00a0 If you have a vaginal infection (like a yeast infection), wait until you\u2019ve finished treatment before booking your Pap.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Pap smears during pregnancy<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can get<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> both <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a Pap smear and<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a colposcopy (a form of closer examination &#8211; more on this later) <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">while pregnant<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 both are completely safe and will not affect the health of your baby. And <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a Pap smear when pregnant won\u2019t<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hurt more<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You are also able to undergo a biopsy if your doctor deems it necessary, although this can increase your risk for bleeding.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What can cause an abnormal Pap smear besides HPV?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it\u2019s entirely normal to freak out when your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pap smear test results <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">come back \u201cabnormal,\u201d keep in mind that this could mean a variety of things. An <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">abnormal pap smear<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can mean <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HPV<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or (less likely) cervical cancer, but it could also be the result of a different infection. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and even yeast infections can cause a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">slightly abnormal pap smear<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Your doctor will recommend the best course of action based on the results of your test. This can range from scheduling another Pap in three to six months, to getting a colposcopy. But unless your doctor explicitly tells you they are concerned, please don\u2019t panic and think this means you have <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cervical cancer<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abnormal pap smears are<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> quite <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">common<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 about <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cwhn.ca\/node\/40773\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">eight percent<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of tests come back abnormal. Even normal physiological changes, such as menopause, can cause test results to return abnormal.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What\u2019s a colposcopy?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your doctor will sometimes refer you for a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">colposcopy<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when your P<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ap smear<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> returns <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">abnormal<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Similar to a Pap, a colposcopy involves a close examination of the cervix using a magnifying glass-type device called a colposcope. It allows your doctor to more thoroughly inspect your cervix and may involve a biopsy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s completely normal to feel anxious before a Pap smear. Especially if you haven\u2019t had one before or if you have a history of trauma. But Pap smears are an integral part of preventative medicine. And better screening means earlier intervention, which increases your chances of surviving something like cervical cancer. So while it can be tempting to avoid, don\u2019t put off getting your Pap test. It could literally save your life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><i>The information presented here is for educational purposes and is not meant to replace the advice from your medical professional.<\/i><i><\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><i>When using virtual care, all medical treatment is at the sole discretion of the provider. Virtual care is not meant for medical emergencies, and your provider will determine if your case is appropriate for virtual care. If you are experiencing an emergency like chest pain or difficulties breathing, for example, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Uncomfortable, sure. But pap smears are essential preventative care for women. Learn how these tests are done and how they can predict abnormalities, leading to earlier cancer diagnoses and better patient outcomes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[7377],"tags":[],"acf":{"image":{"ID":9462,"id":9462,"title":"MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3","filename":"MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3.jpg","filesize":188432,"url":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/map101_maple_blog_smear_v3\/","alt":"test tubes lined up.","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"map101_maple_blog_smear_v3","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":9013,"date":"2019-11-20 22:01:53","modified":"2019-11-20 22:02:12","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2880,"height":1180,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-300x123.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":123,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-768x315.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":315,"large":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-1024x420.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":420,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":629,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":839,"square1200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-1200x1180.jpg","square1200-width":1200,"square1200-height":1180,"square600":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-600x600.jpg","square600-width":600,"square600-height":600,"square300":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-300x300.jpg","square300-width":300,"square300-height":300,"square200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-200x200.jpg","square200-width":200,"square200-height":200,"square100":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-100x100.jpg","square100-width":100,"square100-height":100,"feature1200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-1200x600.jpg","feature1200-width":1200,"feature1200-height":600,"feature1100":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-1100x500.jpg","feature1100-width":1100,"feature1100-height":500,"feature800":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-800x400.jpg","feature800-width":800,"feature800-height":400,"feature400":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-400x200.jpg","feature400-width":400,"feature400-height":200,"facebook1200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-1200x630.jpg","facebook1200-width":1200,"facebook1200-height":630,"medium_retina":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-1200x492.jpg","medium_retina-width":1200,"medium_retina-height":492,"large_retina":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/MAP101_Maple_Blog_smear_v3-2360x967.jpg","large_retina-width":2360,"large_retina-height":967}},"intro_text":"","meta_description":"","add_promotional_banner":false,"add_call_to_action":true,"show_age_gate":false,"call_to_action_text":"Get better, faster.","call_to_action_button_text":"Register","call_to_action_link":"[mpl-register-link]"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v18.4 (Yoast SEO v18.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why you should never skip your Pap | Maple<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cervical cancer rates plummeted after the introduction of the Pap smear procedure. Abnormal Pap smear results can mean a variety of issues, not just cancer.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why you should never skip your Pap\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cervical cancer rates plummeted after the introduction of the Pap smear procedure. Abnormal Pap smear results can mean a variety of issues, not just cancer.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Maple\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-11-26T14:16:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-15T19:27:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/maple-preview-en.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Maple\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/\",\"sameAs\":[],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/maple_logo@3x.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/maple_logo@3x.png\",\"width\":702,\"height\":240,\"caption\":\"Maple\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/\",\"name\":\"Maple\",\"description\":\"Online Doctors, Virtual Health &amp; Prescriptions in Canada\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/\",\"name\":\"Why you should never skip your Pap | Maple\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-11-26T14:16:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-15T19:27:49+00:00\",\"description\":\"Cervical cancer rates plummeted after the introduction of the Pap smear procedure. Abnormal Pap smear results can mean a variety of issues, not just cancer.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why you should never skip your Pap\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/#webpage\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/91bed388e6602c0154576eb9af527ce9\"},\"headline\":\"Why you should never skip your Pap\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-11-26T14:16:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-15T19:27:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/#webpage\"},\"wordCount\":1075,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Sexual health\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/91bed388e6602c0154576eb9af527ce9\",\"name\":\"Alexandra Armstrong\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/author\/alexandra\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why you should never skip your Pap | Maple","description":"Cervical cancer rates plummeted after the introduction of the Pap smear procedure. Abnormal Pap smear results can mean a variety of issues, not just cancer.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why you should never skip your Pap","og_description":"Cervical cancer rates plummeted after the introduction of the Pap smear procedure. Abnormal Pap smear results can mean a variety of issues, not just cancer.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/","og_site_name":"Maple","article_published_time":"2019-11-26T14:16:31+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-01-15T19:27:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/maple-preview-en.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#organization","name":"Maple","url":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/","sameAs":[],"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/maple_logo@3x.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/maple_logo@3x.png","width":702,"height":240,"caption":"Maple"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/","name":"Maple","description":"Online Doctors, Virtual Health &amp; Prescriptions in Canada","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/","name":"Why you should never skip your Pap | Maple","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-11-26T14:16:31+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-15T19:27:49+00:00","description":"Cervical cancer rates plummeted after the introduction of the Pap smear procedure. Abnormal Pap smear results can mean a variety of issues, not just cancer.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why you should never skip your Pap"}]},{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/#webpage"},"author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/91bed388e6602c0154576eb9af527ce9"},"headline":"Why you should never skip your Pap","datePublished":"2019-11-26T14:16:31+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-15T19:27:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/pap-smear-purpose-procedure-results-frequency-maple\/#webpage"},"wordCount":1075,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Sexual health"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/91bed388e6602c0154576eb9af527ce9","name":"Alexandra Armstrong","url":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/author\/alexandra\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9013"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9013"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9013\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33799,"href":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9013\/revisions\/33799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}