Pap smear checks for cell changes in the cervix and will determine if a woman has an infection, or has abnormal or unhealthy cells, that can be cancerous in nature. Early detection of cancer cells will save a woman’s life and if caught at the early stage, treatment can be applied and the chances of curing it are possibly greater.

Women over 18 years of age are advised to have a regular pap smear. Even women who are not sexually active and have gone through menopausal stage need to get Pap tests. It is vital to have Pap smear as a routinely health care to detect and prevent any instances that will lead to a more risky illness.

On rare cases, a Pap smear may indicate the presence of damaged cells that have been infected with the Herpes Simplex Virus type 2. At this point however, Pap smear tests are not reliable as a test for Herpes virus detection.

The accuracy of Pap test in detecting Trichomonas (a sexually ¬transmitted vaginal infection), Candida (yeast) or large amounts of bacteria, usually Gardnerella (the most common bacteria normally found in the vagina). Pap smear test involves a sample from the vaginal discharge while PCR or viral culture will involves scraping off of a tissue out of the skin lesions in sores and blisters during an outbreak.

Whether Pap smear shows the genital herpes infection, it is extremely important to prevent the risk of getting infected. When the lesions are present during an outbreak, avoid touching the sores because it is highly contagious at this time and to avoid spreading the virus to other parts of the body.

For the complete article, see http://www.forces-of-nature.net/topics/herpes/Will_Pap_Smear_Show_Genital_Herpes.htm