How is an HPV test done?
Before you undergo an HPV test, your doctor will take a sample of cells from your cervix. You need a pelvic exam for this process.
The following steps are involved in an HPV test:
- You will not be wearing anything in your lower body. You can also wear a hospital gown.
- You will lay down on the examination table and put your heels in footrests.
- A speculum will be placed in your vagina. The speculum is used to separate the walls of your vagina, so the cervix can easily be found.
- Your doctor will take cell samples from the surface of your cervix or your vaginal canal with a spatula or brush.
- The cell samples will be taken to a lab to detect the presence of the virus.