Le smear inqubo yezokwelapha equkethe qoqa amaseli angenhla ngokuhlikihla kancane ngebhulashi elincane, i-spatula noma i-swab ekhethekile kakotini. Uma esefakwe kwisilayidi sengilazi, amaseli ahlolwa ngaphansi kwesibonakhulu ukubona noma ikuphi ukungajwayelekile.

I-smear ejwayelekile kakhulu I-Pap smear. Lokhu wukuhlolwa kwabesifazane okubandakanya ukuthatha amaseli kusuka ku- wesibeletho nokuyibuka ngaphansi kwesibonakhulu ukuze ihlaziye ukubukeka kwayo (ukuze kutholakale umdlavuza noma izilonda ezingapholi).

Ezinye izinhlobo zama-smear zingenziwa, kufaka phakathi:

• le i-anal smear : ukuthatha amaseli emgqeni we-anus abuye ahlolwe ngaphansi kwe-microscope ukubona ukuthi ngabe kukhona yini ushintsho olungajwayelekile olungaholela kumdlavuza

• le i-smear yegazi : siqukethe ukusabalalisa igazi elincane kusilayidi sengilazi bese silibuka ngaphansi kwesibonakhulu, ikakhulukazi ukubheka ukuthi amaseli egazi ahlukile akhona noma awanawo yini amakhemikhali

• noma smear microbiological, kwenziwa ngokwesibonelo emphinjeni: ukuthatha isampula ukuze kwenziwe ukuhlolwa kwamagciwane noma kwe-mycological.

Khumbula ukuthi umlomo wesibeletho, ophakathi kwe- esithweni sangasese futhikwesibeletho, kungaba isihlalo se-izifo ze-papillomavirus (noma i-human papillomavirus, i-HPV), amagciwane adluliswa ngokocansi futhi angadala amaseli athintekile ukuthi akhule abe amangqamuzana omdlavuza. Ngakho-ke, ama-70% omdlavuza womlomo wesibeletho kungenxa yokutheleleka kwangaphambili nge-papillomavirus. i umdlavuza womlomo wesibeletho yisifo esithule, izimpawu zaso ezingabonakali isikhathi eside. Kuyimbangela yesibili ehamba phambili yomdlavuza kwabesifazane emhlabeni wonke, kanye ne- screening ngakho-ke kubaluleke kakhulu. Ngokusho kweNational Cancer Institute, eFrance, kunconywa ukuba ne-smear njalo eminyakeni emithathu, phakathi kweminyaka engama-25 nengama-65.

EQuebec, loluhlolo lubizwa nangokuthi ” Ukuhlolwa kwe-PAP Noma uPapanicolaou smear (oqanjwe ngegama likadokotela owayibeka endaweni).

Isiguli sibekwa endaweni yabesifazane ngenkathi udokotela ethula i- umhlaseli ukuze kukhishwe umthetho izindonga zesitho sangasese sowesifazane. Ube esusa amaseli ebusweni bomlomo wesibeletho esebenzisa i-swab ekhethekile kakotini noma ibhulashi elincane. Ukubuyekeza kuyashesha.

Amaseli abekwa kwisilayidi sengilazi, silungisiwe bese kufakwa udayi. Bese bathunyelwa elabhorethri bayohlaziywa ngaphansi kwesibonakhulu. Ngoba amangqamuzana omdlavuza awabukeki afana namaseli ajwayelekile, angatholakala.

Ngokuya ngokubonakala kwamaseli, udokotela anganquma ukuthi ajwayelekile yini noma uma umlomo wesibeletho unesifo, izilonda zangaphambi komdlavuza noma ezinomdlavuza.

Lokhu kuhlolwa futhi kwenza kube nokwenzeka ukuqapha ukuvela kwe- amaseli angaphambi kwesikhathi kanye nokuqinisekisa ukuthi umdlavuza awubuyi emuva kokwelashwa.

Qaphela ukuthi kubalulekile ukuhlolwa njalo, ngoba i-smear ayisona isivivinyo esithembekile esingu-100% futhi amaseli angashintsha ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.

Uma kungekho okungajwayelekile kuma-smear amabili alandelanayo, kunconywa ukuphinda ukuhlolwa njalo eminyakeni emibili noma emithathu.

Uma ukuhlolwa kuveza ukungajwayelekile, udokotela angenza ezinye izivivinyo:

• ukuhlolwa kwegciwane, ukuqinisekisa ukutholakala kwesifo se-papillomavirus noma ukutheleleka kwemvubelo

• i-biopsy

Qaphela ukuthi kunomuthi wokugomela umdlavuza womlomo wesibeletho, ovikela ezinhlotsheni eziyinhloko ze-papillomavirus. Kodwa-ke, lo mgomo awuthathi indawo yokuhlolwa kwe-smear, okuhlala kubalulekile.