conventional Pap test, liquid Pap or Pap plus HPV test. A staggering 99 percent of all cervical cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), according to the American Cancer Society.

Light bleeding or spotting won’t affect results in most cases, especially with liquid-based Pap smears, which filter out small amounts of blood. However, if you have a heavy flow, rescheduling ...