Pap smears are often unnecessary for true virgin women unless they have smoked in the past (based on some studies) or their mother took DES (also known as diethylstilbestrol) during pregnancy between 1938 - 1971 to prevent miscarriage and premature delivery. In most cases, cervical cancer is caused by a sexually transmitted disease, human papillomavirus (HPV). About 99% of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV. In rare cases, HPV can also be transmitted during childbirth from mother to baby. Even if babies get the HPV virus, their bodies usually clear the virus on their own. Many young women who say that they are virgins may be "technical" virgins meaning they have never had intercourse, but they have done other things such as petting, oral and anal sex and skin to skin contact with genitals that put them at risk of contracting HPV. Genital contact without penetration can cause HPV. Why is it recommended that pap smears start at age of 21 regardless of sexual activity? It seems that the main reason that the guidelines suggest that pap smears should start at age 21 for women regardless of sexual history is because women are not always honest about their relationships. It is difficult for a provider to ensure that they have the accurate sexual history of a patient. But providers should keep in mind that many women are honest about their sexual history. Many countries wait until age 25 or later to start screening. For instance, some parts of Great Britain start screening at age 25. ACOG's general recommendation is that women age 30-65 have an annual well-woman examination, that they not get annual pap tests, and that they do get pap tests at three-year intervals. Source
The “duck beak” thing you referred to is called a speculum. The speculum is inserted into the vagina in order to separate the walls of the vagina so the cervix can be seen by the doctor. Once the speculum has been inserted the doctor will use a spatula or tiny brush to collect cells from the cervix (these cells will then be sent to the lab for testing).
