In Israel, fewer than 50 percent of women ages 35-54, who are recommended to undergo a routine preventative screening pap smear once every three years, actually do the test, according to a report published in January 2019 by the Israel Cancer Association. The test, a cervical cancer screening, can be an uncomfortable and even distressing experience for some but it can save lives. Cervical cancer is a treatable disease, and can often be found early, and sometimes, even prevented entirely, according to the association. The pap smear itself is only the first procedure in keeping cervical cancer at bay. If pap results are abnormal, women will usually next undergo a colposcopy, an uncomfortable medical procedure that magnifies the cervix, vagina, and vulva to check for pre-malignant and malignant lesions.

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