A Pap smear is a routine medical examination that is designed to detect any abnormal cell functioning in the cervix. This type of smear test will determine if a woman has an infection, or has abnormal or unhealthy cells, that can be cancerous in nature. It is vital because early detection of any of the listings including cancer cells will save a woman's life and if diagnosed at the early stage, treatment can be applied and the chances of recovery possibly greater. All Women over 18 years of age are expected to have a regular pap smear at some point in the lives including even women who are not sexually active.. It is vital to have Pap smear as a routinely health care to detect and prevent any instances that will lead to a more risky illness. Research evidence shows however that on rare cases, a Pap smear may indicate the presence of damaged cells that have been infected with the Herpes of various origin. At this point therefore it is possible to say that Pap smear tests are not reliable as a test for Herpes virus detection. This can justify the rationale for the lab work that your doctor has preferably decided to undertake as further as further examination to obtain more conclusive results. Hope this can help. Good luck.