Women's Health & Reproductive Medicine

Pap smear

Also called: Pap test · Cervical cytology

What does Pap smear mean?

A screening test collecting cervical cells to look for changes associated with cervical-cancer risk.

U.S. National Library of Medicine
Understanding Medical Words ↗ National Cancer Institute
Cancer Terms Dictionary ↗ CDC
Vaccine Glossary ↗

This is a plain-language Healthway explanation, not an individual diagnosis. The meaning of a term can change with the clinical context in which it appears.