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Your Annual Menopausal Health Visit May Benefit From a Different Type of Pap Smear

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Gynos are reminding women that yearly visits for menopausal health are still recommended although the content of those visits has changed. Women who are low risk for cervical cancer may be eligible for less frequent cervical pap smears than every year. Women post hysterectomy, no longer need cervical screening, but if they are at risk they may need cancer tests of the vagina. A test for the health of the vaginal wall, the Vaginal Maturation Index Pap tests can also be used to judge your vaginal sexual health. This is the test is abbreviated as the Maturation Index. A Maturation Index is not a cancer test, but it is a type of pap smear that doesn't report out cancer or precancerous changes, but specifically reports on the percentage of healthy superficial cells the walls of the vagina. The Maturation Index is performed by using a swab and placing it in fluid.  It is an analysis of the vaginal wall cells from epithelial layer of the vagina. 100 cells are evaluated and the proportion of the parabasal cells (the lower most layer that sits on the top of what is called the basement membrane), the intermediate and the superficial cells. Prior to menopause, if you have a normal healthy vaginal wall you will have somewhere between 40-70/100 intermediate cells and about 40-60/100 superficial cells, and essentially no parabasal cells. If you have early menopause, and a bit of estrogen, you may start having some parabasal cells when your matOsphena exerts and estrogen like effect on the tissue and is effective at normalizing the maturation index. The MonaLisa and Femilift vaginal CO2 therapies also have been shown in biopsies to be able to normalize the vaginal maturation index. Women who are responding well to estrogen therapy for vaginal problems in menopause should have the healthy maturation index of a young women. If your symptoms are persistent, and your maturation index has not improved, considering what therapy would work for your maximum effectiveness.
uration index is evaluated. Once women are fully in menopause, and the vaginal walls become atrophic, thin and dry, the test can confirm that this is indeed the physiologic changes of menopause and a women may have as many as 65/100 cells as parapaasal cells, and only 5/100 superficial cells. Medical therapy, and sexual activity improve the Maturation Index results. The traditional therapy has been hormonal. Coconut oil and other soothing vaginal treatments do not fundamentally improve the tissue.
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