Did you have uterine cramping pains right after the Pap smear swab was withdrawn by your doctor?
The discomfort was likely mild in nature, but it had that all-too-familiar feeling of menstrual cramps.
This happened to me, and soon after the Pap smear was completed, I asked my doctor if feeling uterine cramping was normal.
She said it most certainly was, and showed me a diagram of the female anatomy.
She showed me just how far in the swab goes to collect a tissue sample.
Shutterstock/Nestor Rizhniak
It goes in about as far as the junction where the end of the cervix meets the beginning of the uterus.
She explained that uterine cramping after a Pap smear is typically caused by the pressure and manipulation of the cervix during the procedure, especially when this occurs right near the uterus.
The cervix is a sensitive area, and when a doctor uses a speculum to open the vagina and collects cell samples, it may cause temporary discomfort or cramping.
The cramping can occur as a result of the cervix being stimulated or moved.
She also told me that if this has never happened before from a Pap smear, this means nothing.
These cramps are usually mild and short-lived, resolving within a few hours. Mine resolved within a few minutes.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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