Women's Health Q&A by Dr. Stoppler

Answer:

Sex-Drive Killers Slideshow

There are really two parts to your question, one regarding bleeding as a result of the Pap smear process, and the other regarding the analysis of pap smears that have blood in them.

Bleeding is extremely common after Pap smears, due to the tiny brush scraping the delicate lining of the cervix. This type of bleeding does not result in any damage and will stop on its own. However, if the bleeding is directly related to the Pap smear, the expected bleeding should be light, mostly experienced as spotting, and should quickly resolve. If it does not,, it requires further evaluation.

Regarding the analysis of Pap smears that have blood in them, a good pathology lab will comment on whether there was too much blood to properly analyze the smear. If the pathologist feels there is too much blood to give an accurate reading, he or she will say so directly in the report. Therefore, the real issue is not whether there is blood, but actually whether the blood is too extensive to interfere with the reading. Different doctors will have different practices regarding sampling during menstrual bleeding. Many doctors will not have patients reschedule a Pap smear if the woman is in the later days of her menstrual period, when there is not much bleeding.

Thank you for your question.