Efficacy of self-collected, air-dried and saline rehydrated Pap smears using vaginal tampon.

This is a pilot study to be conducted prospectively. 25 split Pap smear samples will be studied. The study aims to compare routine Pap smears with self-collected Pap smears using vaginal tampon and check the feasibility and diagnostic yield in both. The women who do not wish to go to a hospital for Pap smear, may opt for this self-collected Pap smear method, which will improve the participation rate in the cervical screening program.

Thus we aim to evaluate the efficacy of self-collected, air-dried and saline re-hydrated Pap smears using vaginal tampons.

Eligibility:

Inclusion criteria: (For split sample) – Sexually active women > 30 years of age – Willing to do self-collection using a vaginal tampon – and willing to get a Pap smear collected at the Department of Preventive Oncology, TMH, followed by VIA-VILI, colposcopy examination and cervical biopsy (if required)

Exclusion criteria: – Post-menopausal women

After explaining the self-collection procedure and  taking the volunteer’s sign on the informed consent, the volunteer will be instructed to do self-collection of vaginal sample using tampon at the Department of Preventive Oncology, TMH and subsequently Pap smear will be collected followed by VIA/VILI, colposcopy examination and biopsy (if required).On receiving in the lab, the air-dried smears will be rehydrated with normal saline for 30 seconds, fixed in methanol and then submitted for routine Pap staining.

After Pap staining, both the smears will be evaluated separately (blinded study) for various parameters such as cellularity, even spreading of cells on the glass slides, staining quality, presence / absence of transformation zone components, air-drying artifacts, cytomorphology (cell border, nuclear chromatin and border), presence/absence of inflammatory cells/ bacilli / organisms etc. and cytology report will be documented for both.