title: Is liquid-based pap testing affected by water-based lubricant?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the effect of water-based lubricant on the liquid-based Pap test.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred women each had 2 simultaneous Pap test collections. One specimen was randomly contaminated with 0.5 mL of water-based lubricant after collection. The physician was blinded as to which collection was contaminated. Both specimens were sent for cytology. Cytopathologists were blinded to the study. The rate of abnormal cytology and discordance between the control and the contaminated specimens was estimated. The discordance of secondary diagnoses, such as yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis, was also estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of abnormal cytology was similar in the contaminated specimens and the control specimens (6.5%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.5-10.9% versus 7.0%, 95% CI 3.9-11.5%). The rate of disagreement between the 2 specimens collected from each patient was 7.5% (95% CI 4.6-12.1%) and is similar to previously published estimates of discordance using conventional cytology. Secondary diagnoses, such as yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis, were similar in both groups, suggesting no interference from the lubricant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Water-based lubricant does not affect liquid-based cervical cytology Pap testing. Water-based lubricant does not affect secondary diagnoses such as bacterial vaginosis or yeast infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  II-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University and Sparrow Hospital, Lansing, Michigan 48909, USA. Jon.Hathaway@byu.net
authors.forename: Jon K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hathaway
authors.forename: Pramod K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Pathak
authors.forename: Rhonda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maney
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008153:Lubrication; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000379:methods*; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control