Pap Smear (Pap Test) in Spanish

What it means

A Pap smear, also called a Pap test, is a test to screen for cervical cancer. During the test, a health care provider collects cells from the cervix, the lower part of the uterus, and sends them to a lab. There, the cells are checked under a microscope for cancer or for signs that they are abnormal and may become cancer; cells that may become cancer are called precancerous cells. The provider gently inserts an instrument called a speculum into the vagina so that the cervix can be seen, then uses a small, soft brush or swab to collect the cells. A Pap smear is often done as part of a pelvic exam. MedlinePlus notes that a Pap smear does not diagnose cancer.

Spanish term: Prueba de Papanicolaou
Gender and article: feminine: la prueba de Papanicolaou
Pronunciation: PRWEH-bah deh pah-pah-nee-koh-LAH-oo

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
citología cervical	General	Listed by MedlinePlus en español among the test's other names, together with citología vaginal and citología exfoliativa.
frotis de Papanicolaou	General	Listed by MedlinePlus en español among the test's other names, together with the shorter frotis de Pap.
prueba de Pap	General	Short name listed both by MedlinePlus en español and by the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary.
prueba de Papanicoláu	General	Spelling with a written accent that the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary gives as another name, along with examen de Papanicoláu.

Prueba de Papanicolaou is the name used by MedlinePlus en español and by the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary, and it takes the feminine article: la prueba de Papanicolaou. MedlinePlus en español lists citología cervical, citología vaginal, frotis de Papanicolaou and prueba de Pap among the test's other names. The NCI dictionary adds the accented spellings prueba de Papanicoláu and examen de Papanicoláu. The MedlinePlus en español page itself also prints the shorter spelling Papanicolau in some sentences, so a reader may meet more than one spelling for the same test.

Words MedlinePlus en español uses with it are cuello uterino (cervix), espéculo (speculum) and VPH, the abbreviation of virus del papiloma humano (HPV); the NCI dictionary uses examen pélvico for pelvic exam. Cervical cancer is cáncer de cuello uterino, which MedlinePlus en español says is also known as cáncer cervicouterino or cáncer de cérvix. A Pap test and an HPV test done together are called pruebas conjuntas (co-testing).

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Clinician	When was your last Pap test?	¿Cuándo se hizo la última prueba de Papanicolaou?
Patient	About three years ago, and the result was normal.	Hace unos tres años, y el resultado fue normal.
Patient	Will the Pap smear be done during today's pelvic exam?	¿Me van a hacer la prueba de Papanicolaou durante el examen pélvico de hoy?
Clinician	I am going to insert the speculum now; you may feel some pressure.	Voy a introducir el espéculo ahora; es posible que sienta algo de presión.
Clinician	I will use a small brush to collect cells from your cervix.	Voy a usar un cepillo pequeño para tomar células del cuello uterino.
Patient	I have my period today. Should I come back another day?	Hoy tengo la regla. ¿Debo volver otro día?
Patient	Will you also test the sample for HPV?	¿También van a analizar la muestra para detectar el VPH?
Patient	When will I get the results, and what happens if they are abnormal?	¿Cuándo me darán los resultados y qué pasa si salen anormales?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Pap Smear (Pap Test)
Spanish (Español)	Prueba de Papanicolaou
Chinese (中文)	子宮頸抹片
Korean (한국어)	자궁경부 세포진 검사 (팹 검사)
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Xét nghiệm Pap (phết tế bào cổ tử cung)
Filipino (Tagalog)	Pap Smear
Portuguese (Português)	Papanicolau
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	การตรวจแปปสเมียร์
Japanese (日本語)	子宮頸部細胞診（パパニコロウ検査）

Where you'll see it

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Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Reproductive health and pregnancy

All terms in this area: Reproductive health and pregnancy — Salud reproductiva y embarazo

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.