. While a pap smear is a routine appointment, that doesn't absolve it from potentially causing pain in the lower regions for patients. POPSUGAR spoke with gynecological experts on the possible causes for pain or cramping some might feel after receiving a pap smear.
"A pap smear is a sampling of the cells on a woman's cervix that screens for precancer and cancer of the cervix," says San Diego-based OB-GYN Christine Carter Sterling, MD."It is not a biopsy but rather a gentle swiping of cells with a plastic wand and small bristle brush," she tells POPSUGAR. The sensitivity of the cervix to touch and manipulation could be the reason some people experience cramping after their pap smear.
Everyone can feel pap smear pain differently."The way that organs perceive pain is quite different than those on external skin, which has different nerve pathways," says Dr. Nicole Williams of."There are no direct nerve endings on the cervix, so when it's touched, you feel it all over the lower pelvis as pressure or cramping," says Dr. Williams. Therefore, after a pap test, you could have cramping. This is usually not a cause for concern.
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