By: CRIZELDA LIWANAG
Doctors request a vaginal smear on their patients for different reasons especially for symptoms of vaginosis. These symptoms include vaginal itching, burning sensation in the vagina, rash, unusual or strong odor or atypical discharge. It helps assess patients for yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis and parasitosis caused by Trichomonas vaginalis.
Is there only one type of vaginal smear?
No. The vaginal wet mount smear involves observing the wet mount microscopy characteristics of a vaginal discharge by placing the specimen on a glass slide and mixing with a salt solution. Whereas, another type (vaginal Pap smear) involves a smear taken from the vaginal mucosa and stained for cytological analysis.
What should a patient avoid before getting a vaginal smear?
The patient should abstain from sexual activities at least 24 hours before having a vaginal smear done. Likewise, the patient should stop vaginal irrigation or douching, use of tampon and vaginal medications. For douching, tampon use and medications, especially non-prescription vaginal yeast medication, the patient should stop using these two to three days prior to the test. Sexual activities alter the vaginal pH and thus, the results. An authorized person to perform the vaginal smear must not do so during the menstrual period of the patient. The presence of blood on the smear causes erroneous and misleading results.
How does the authorized medical practitioner perform the test?
The person who will collect the vaginal smear (usually a doctor) will ask the patient to assume the lithotomy position. The doctor then uses a speculum to open the vagina while using a swab or other device to obtain the sample inside the vagina. The test causes no serious side effects after the specimen collection. However, some patients experience mild bleeding within the day. This is no cause for worry and it comes normally with a vaginal smear.
