Specimen Information

Preparing for a Pap Test:  Information for Your Patient's

To ensure that the Pap Test is most effective, patients should follow the following guidelines:

• Try not to schedule a Pap Test during your patient’s menstrual period. Although the test can be done, it’s best to avoid this time, if possible.

During the two days prior to the Pap test have patients AVOID:

• Intercourse
• Douching
• Any vaginal medicines, creams or lubricants
• Any birth control foams, creams or jellies
• The use of tampons

Following these guidelines will decrease the presence of interfering factors in the Pap Test.

1. Prepare the Speculum

For patients without physical or physiological need for lubricant, use lukewarm water to warm and lubricate the speculum.

Water lubrication has the fewest risks to the quality of the Pap sample collected.

When necessary, sparingly apply carbomer-free lubricant on the exterior of the speculum blades. If lubricant is necessary due to patient discomfort or the use of a plastic speculum, sparingly apply a thin film of carbomer-free lubricant on the speculum’s surface, avoiding the tip.

Do not use an excessive amount of lubricant jelly to lubricate the speculum
Hologic evaluated a variety of popular lubricants and found those containing carbomer or carbopol polymers (thickening agents) may interfere with obtaining a representative cervical sample or cause artifact in the alcohol-based transport medium. Hologic recognizes the varying availability of different types of lubricants and recommends that, if used, any lubricant should be applied sparingly. Many over-the-counter products that advertise their effects as lasting several day mays contain ingredients that interfere with the ThinPrep Pap Test processing.

Acceptable Lubricants

Remove excess mucus or other discharge present before taking the sample. This should be gently removed with ring forceps holding a folder guaze pad.
The excess cervical mucus is essentially devoid of meaningful cellular material and when present in the sample vial may yield a slide with little or no diagnostic material present.

Remove inflammatory exudate from the cervical canal before taking the sample. Remove by placing a dry 2-by-2-inch piece of gauze over the cervix and peeling it away after it absorbs the exudate or by using a dry procto swab or Scopette swab.

The excess inflammatory exudate is essentially devoid of diagnostic cellular material and, when present in the sample vial, may yield a slide with little or no diagnostic material present.

• The cervix should not be cleaned by washing with saline or it may result in a relatively acellular specimen.
• The sample should be obtained before the application of acetic acid.

2. Obtain the Pap Test Sample (Endocervical and Exocervical samples preferred)

Pap Test Transport

1. Ensure the ThinPrep vial is labeled with two unique patient identifiers.
2. Ensure that the vial's cap is secure by rotating the black alignment mark on the cap past the mark on the vial. This helps ensure no leakage during transport
3. 
4. Place vial in biohazard bag
5. Ensure clinical information is provided in the order or on requisition
   • For Medicare patients, please designate whether low-or high-risk screening or diagnostic.
6. Submit ThinPrep Vial at ambient temperature.

The sample should be stored at 15° C – 30° C  (59° F – 86° F). Samples are viable for Cytology testing for 6 weeks.