What Is a Pap Smear? The Complete Plain-Language Explanation
Last updated: March 13, 2026 Quick Answer: A Pap smear (also called a Pap test) is a simple, in-office cervical cancer screening that collects a small sample of cells from the cervix and sends them to a lab for analysis. It takes about 2–3 minutes, causes minimal discomfort for most women, and is one of…