A new Pap smear test being offered at the Ohio State University Medical Center will detect cervical cancer in women more accurately than traditional tests.The traditional Pap smear test requires a physician to smear the specimen onto a slide. The cells are stained, which allows them to be viewed under a microscope.The new test, called a ThinPrep Pap Test, allows doctors to combine the sample with a solution to prevent the cells from dying. The mixture is put into a ThinPrep processor, an instrument that filters the cells onto a glass slide.The instrument rids the specimen of extra blood, mucus, and other debris, said Dr. Sedigheh Keyhani-Rofagha, director of the cytology laboratory at the medical center.”This opens a big door for cancer research,” she said.Several members from the laboratory went to Boston last year to receive training on how to read a ThinPrep Pap Test. The members returned to OSU and performed clinical trials to see how efficient the test was.”The first time I saw, it I knew it was the way a Pap smear should be,” Keyhani-Rofagha said.The medical center has been using the test for about six months, said Pat Prokorym, the supervisor of the cytology laboratory. “There will probably always be a conventional Pap, but this is a better technique,” she said.One downside to the new test is the cost.A typical Pap smear costs about $20 to $25, depending on the doctor. The ThinPrep Pap Test generally costs $10 – $12 more because of the vial and filter, Prokorym said. The higher price is worth it, Keyhani-Rofagha said.”This is the only screening test that works so well to find cervical cancer,” she said.The new test is offered at the medical center, but currently is not covered by student health insurance, Prokorym said. The medical center is in the process of getting the new test covered.Erika Lang, a junior majoring in zoology, said she would definitely prefer to use the new test.”Why would someone want a less accurate test when trying to detect cancer? If you have cancerous cells, you definitely want the doctor to find them,” Lang said.Kerry Merriman, an undecided freshman, said she would use the ThinPrep Pap Test even if it was not covered by her insurance.Keyhani-Rofagha said women should have their first Pap smear test as soon as they are sexually active.