Ladies, let’s talk about pap smears. More specifically, let’s talk about how you should be getting one at least every three years — and also about how they’re a lot less freaky than you probably think they are. Don’t believe me? Then maybe you’ll believe Nadia Kamil and her hilarious and informative video, “Pap Rap.”
A writer, actor, comedian, and all-round awesome person from Swansea, Wales, Kamil started off by live tweeting her way through her first pap smear; the rest of it spun out from there. “Pap Rap,” the amazingly titled video that resulted from her experience, is now making the rounds; there’s a good reason for it, too. Actually, there are several good reasons: Through it, she’s raising awareness, allaying fears (she’s right—the nurse has seen a thousand vaginas, so yours is just business as usual. Nothing to be embarrassed about!), and making us laugh our heads off in the process.
The tweets were hilarious and the video's got everything: Facts (did you know that cervical cancer is the number two most common and number five most deadly cancer for women worldwide?); humor; and — get ready for this — it’s got an army of Muppet Mary Wollstonecrafts backing her up. An army of Mary Wollstonecrafts. Also, a speculum used as a prop appears to have grown a head of fluffy pink hair and sprouted a pair of googly eyes, so, y’know… there’s that.
So go on. Help this #SocialMediaSmearPioneer spread the word. And don’t forget to schedule your own pap smear!
