Since Pap smear is a routine test, there are a lot of women who are interested in whether they should have sex before Pap smear.

The truth is that according to the doctors it is best to avoid having sex the night before the smear to make sure that the results are accurate.

Information about sex and Pap smear

The smear is used to find different kinds of infections. Their majority can be easily treated even with home remedies. The doctors suggest that the best time to have the test is two weeks after the last menstrual cycle and about 24-48 hours after you had sex for the last time.

If you are thinking about Pap smear and sex you should know that it is better to avoid sexual intercourse along with vaginal jellies, creams and medicines. In the same time tampons and douching could affect the accuracy of the results too.

Why to avoid sex before Pap smear

It said that women shouldn’t be too busy during the night before the smear because sexual activity could lead to small abrasions of the cervix.

sex-before-pap-smear

This could alter the quality of the cell sample and the lab technicians could misinterpret

the results. Because of this if you do have sex or use something you shouldn’t, you should cancel your appointment.

On the other hand when thinking about Pap smear after sex it is good to know that in case you have the smear regularly there is no danger if you mess things up once.

Most probably you have accurate results the year after and they will be accurate the following year too.

If you have sex before Pap smear you have the possibility to cancel the appointment, as it was suggested before.

Another thing you can do is to go to your doctor and tell him or her about your situation. He or she will tell you what the best course of action would be.

What to do

Don’t forget that the smear is a routine test. This means that if you have the Pap smear after intercourse and you have the wrong results once you could get the next test right. This isn’t one of those tests that are done only once in a lifetime.

The majority of women are aware of the fact that sex before Pap smear isn’t quite alright. If you do have intercourse you could simply tell your doctor about it. It may be even better to discuss the problem with your partner the night before. You can be sure that he will understand it and you will get accurate results the next day.

In some cases even if you have intercourse before Pap smear you could get accurate results. Nonetheless there is no guarantee and this is why you should avoid situations of this kind.

As you can see sex before Pap smear isn’t such a good idea. Most probably you will be told the same thing by your doctor when you make your appointment.