Many women are reticent about getting a regular pap smear; it is not a practice that is popular, especially among young women. There is confusion, sometimes women are seen in a hospital setting and they receive a pelvic exam, and they think that a pap smear was done, when it was not.

On the other hand, the doctor, having performed a pelvic exam says "Everything is fine," and the women in question automatically believes that she has a: had a Pap smear, and b: that the results were instantly available. This is just not how pap smears work, nor is the results available with fast food style efficiency.

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and more than any other test it is important for a woman to have an annual Pap smear, administered preferably by her regular family physician, but a gynecologist can do the procedure. Pap smears are important for a number of valid reasons, and they need to be given so that women can have peace of mind about not being stricken with cancer.

Pap Smears and pelvic exams are different; a pap smear is not normally done in a hospital type setting, while pelvic exams are routinely done in such settings. The reason is that there are a number of conditions and illnesses that can be discovered during a pelvic exam, so they are performed if they have any question about impact injuries, infection, or damage for some reason to the ovaries and uterus.

Cervical Cancer is also different, in that, a virus causes it, and it does not have anything to do with genetics (as it is known so far at least) or a history of cervical cancer in your family. Cervical Cancer is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus, and there is now a vaccine against it that is being recommended for women between the age of 10 years old and 26 years old.

The Vaccine is named Gardasil, and while it is known that it does not protect against all of the human HPV virus, it does offer the best protection that is available. It is a series of three vaccines offered over about six months.

The vaccine is not perfect, but it offers good quality protection for three injections over six months, and it prevents several types of genital warts, so overall it’s a good idea.

Pap smears are important because they help detect HPV and also other viral and infection related conditions and illnesses, illnesses that simply are not detected by a mere pelvic exam.