hsvmom

A pap smear screen for any STDs, it only checks the health of your cervical cells. The doctor takes a sample of the sells with a swab or spatula and sends it to be examined under a microscope to look for indications of cervical cancer or cancer precursors (certain changes in cells are indicative of an increased risk for cancer and require treatment). Your doctor also does a pelvic exam, where your doctor will visually and physically examine your vagina, cervix, uterus, and ovaries. S/he is looking for anatomical anomolies, not STDs, during a pelvic exam.

If you want to be tested for STDs, you need to ask your doctor to screen you for STDs. If you want to be tested for herpes, you need to specifically tell your doctor that you want to be tested for herpes. It is not included, even in complete STD screenings. The only way to test for herpes is through a culture, where they swab the vaginal walls or lesions (if you have an ob) and try to grow the virus or through blood work (request a type specific IgG test).

If you are concerned you have herpes, you should talk to the doc about it specifically. Otherwise, just know that your annual well woman exam is not looking for STDs.

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Mom to two HSV-1 survivors!