The Thin Prep PAP test is the first real improvement to the PAP test in 50 years. While your health care provider will still collect the cervical cells from you in the same way, it is the way that the cells are delivered to the laboratory that makes the Thin Prep PAP test so different. As a result, the lab can process a higher quality slide to read. Once your cells have been taken, they are rinsed into a bottle of liquid instead of smearing them onto a slide. Because the cells aren't smeared, they don't clump together. This method allows almost all of the cells to be preserved, rather than just a portion. The vial is then sent to the laboratory, where a machine separates the cells from unnecessary material, such as blood and mucus. The remaining, important cells are then placed onto a slide in clear and uncrowded way. This approach makes the Thin Prep slide easier for the lab to read.

Studies involving thousands of women have proven the Thin Prep PAP test increases detection of pre-cancerous cells. Many insurers cover Thin Prep PAP tests, but health care plans vary across Indiana. The best thing to do is to check with your insurer. In order to obtain a Thin Prep PAP test, please ask your Woman's Wellness Center health care provider.

 

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