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Pap screening is performed to examine the cellular structure of the cervical tissues, identifying whether there are specific changes that may be either malignant or benign growths within the area. Sexually active women with HPV infections are prone to cervical cancer due to the tendency of HPV to cause mutations and develop malignant changes in the area. Testing routinely for such will help physicians to identify any suspicious growths before it even develops into a malignant condition that could be more debilitating for the patient in the long run.

Depending on the test being performed and the testing physician's targeted diseases, various types of samples can be requested from you. In some instances, a minuscule blood sample of a few milliliters will be collected, some might ask for a urine sample, and others may opt for a genital swab. Again, the sample being collected will depend on the test being conducted and the outcome that is being targeted for this particular procedure.

Treatments would often vary depending on the extent of the condition and the severity of the manifestations. Each STD would vary on how it is supposed to be treated and how long it can persist following the administration of the treatment regimen. These factors, along with other considerations such as dosage strength, type of medication, tolerability of regimen, and strain of causative microorganism, will ultimately contribute to the length of treatment that will be administered to you. Do note that certain conditions may even require a lifetime suppressive therapy due to the absence of a cure for a particular STD.

Similar to how other testing procedures behave, false-positive results are still evident even in STD testing. False-positive and even false-negative results are standard instances that showcase the imperfection of the test’s design – a factor that is present everywhere. However, despite certain inconsistencies in laboratory tests as such, physicians commonly use confirmatory tests that would often take another path entirely to arrive at the same conclusion – solidifying the initial test’s diagnosis while still ensuring that the second test is not following the inconsistencies of the first.