What happens during an HPV test?
For an HPV test, you will lie on your back on an exam table, with your knees bent. You will rest your feet in supports called stirrups. Your health care provider will use a plastic or metal instrument called a speculum to open the vagina, so the cervix can be seen. Your provider will then use a soft brush or plastic spatula to collect cells from the cervix. If you are also getting a pap smear, your provider may use the same sample for both tests, or collect a second sample of cells.
