ThinPrep Pap testing at Oshun is performed by Dr. Charles Rockhead — liquid-based cervical cytology that gives more accurate cells for laboratory review than the conventional smear. Often combined with HPV co-testing per current screening guidelines.
No obligation · Every consultation is in-person with Dr. Rockhead.
ThinPrep Pap Test at a glance
Dr. Rockhead
Performs your procedure personally
In person
Consultation before anything is booked
In writing
Your quote, given at consultation
9 Devon Road
Kingston, Jamaica
No obligation
You decide after the consultation
WhatsApp
Questions answered privately
Every visit, without exception
Four things that are true of every visit
Care by an OB/GYN
Every procedure at Oshun is reviewed and led by a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. Dr. Rockhead is a physician first — the same one who treats women's health on the other side of his practice.
30 years caring for women
Three decades as a practicing OB/GYN at Amadeo Medical Group, the parent clinical practice. Every ThinPrep Pap Test plan is reviewed by a physician who has cared for women through pregnancy, surgery, perimenopause, and post-natal recovery.
Written plan first
Every ThinPrep Pap Test patient leaves consultation with a written plan: areas, technique, timing, recovery, cost. Returning patients refine the same plan rather than starting from scratch every visit.
Conservative, considered
Oshun's approach favours conservative, considered care over aggressive intervention. Decisions are made in conversation with you, options are presented in plain language, and consent is informed at every step.
Treatment Details
Every fact about your first visit, in plain language.
Most first-time patients arrive with the same set of unspoken questions. They are answered below in the order most people think them — from "how much will I need" to "what if I'm pregnant."
Last clinically reviewed: · Medical reviewer: Dr. Charles Rockhead, Medical Director, Oshun Cosmetic Services
01ThinPrep Pap Test 101
The procedure itself.
ThinPrep is the brand name for a liquid-based cervical cytology test. Cervical cells are collected during a routine pelvic exam, suspended in a preservative liquid, and processed by the laboratory into a thin uniform layer for microscopic review. It can be co-tested for high-risk HPV from the same sample.
How long it's been around
ThinPrep liquid-based cytology was FDA-approved in 1996 and has largely replaced the older conventional Pap smear in most laboratories due to better sample quality and the ability to perform HPV co-testing from the same vial.
What we treat with it
Cervical cancer screening: detection of precancerous changes (dysplasia, CIN), HPV co-testing from the same sample, screening for cervical cancer and its precursors at earlier and more treatable stages.
The honest version
Why thinprep pap test sometimes disappoints.
Pap screening disappoints when patients defer it due to discomfort or scheduling difficulty, when results communication is poor, or when abnormal results don't trigger appropriate follow-up.
Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers when screening is performed on schedule. The failure mode that matters most is patients who skip screening for years — the proportion of cervical cancers diagnosed at advanced stages is dominated by under-screened women. Maintaining the screening interval — even if life gets busy — is more important than which exact brand of liquid cytology your clinic uses.
The other failure mode is poor results communication. An abnormal Pap that doesn't get explained, doesn't get followed up, or sits in a file unread is the worst possible outcome of screening. Every abnormal result at Oshun is followed up with a written plan and a scheduled next step.
At Oshun, we don't run that model. ThinPrep Pap Test here is physician-led from consultation through follow-up, with a written plan in your hands and a follow-up visit on the calendar before you leave.
02Medical Leadership
The same physician, from first question to final follow-up.
Every Pap smear at Oshun is collected by Dr. Rockhead personally during the annual gynaecological exam. Proper sampling technique (including the endocervical canal) is what makes the difference between a useful screening test and a falsely-reassuring one.
Dr. Charles Rockhead, Medical Director — Oshun Cosmetic Services, Kingston.
Dr. Charles Rockhead
Medical Director · Board-Certified OB/GYN · 30+ years of practice
Dr. Charles Rockhead is a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with more than thirty years of practice in Kingston. He is the Medical Director of Oshun Cosmetic Services and the founding physician of Amadeo Medical Group, the parent clinical practice.
A ThinPrep Pap Test visit at Oshun follows a clear sequence — from consultation through the procedure itself through follow-up. Here is what happens, step by step.
i.
Consultation
Before any ThinPrep Pap Test is scheduled, you meet Dr. Rockhead in person at 9 Devon Road. He reviews your medical history, examines you as appropriate, and explains the options — including the option not to proceed. You leave with a clear written plan and a quote.
ii.
Preparation
Schedule outside of menstrual period where possible. No douching, vaginal medications, or intercourse for 48 hours before the test.
iii.
The ThinPrep collection
During the pelvic exam, Dr. Rockhead inserts the speculum, visualises the cervix, and uses a cervical brush to collect cells from the cervical surface and the endocervical canal. The brush is rinsed into the ThinPrep vial of preservative liquid. The vial is labelled and sent to the laboratory for processing.
iv.
Recovery & follow-up
Resume all normal activities. Light spotting for 24 hours is possible but not universal. Routine follow-up at the next scheduled interval if normal. Abnormal results trigger a specific follow-up plan (typically colposcopy).
How much you'll need
Single screening visit, repeated on the schedule appropriate to your age, history, and prior results: every 3 years in your 20s, every 5 years (with HPV co-test) from age 30 onwards if prior results have been normal.
Will it hurt?
Sample collection is similar to a standard Pap smear: brief discomfort from the speculum and the cervical brush. The collection itself takes seconds.
How long the visit takes
ThinPrep collection takes 5–10 minutes within the broader pelvic-exam visit (30–45 minutes total).
Time off after
No downtime. Light spotting for 24 hours is possible.
04Results & aftercare
Recovery and follow-up.
Results typically available within 1–2 weeks. Communicated by the Oshun office in writing with a follow-up plan if anything is abnormal.
The days before your visit
Schedule outside of menstrual period where possible. No douching, vaginal medications, or intercourse for 48 hours before the test.
Right after your visit
Resume all normal activities. Light spotting for 24 hours is possible but not universal.
Two-week follow-up
Routine follow-up at the next scheduled interval if normal. Abnormal results trigger a specific follow-up plan (typically colposcopy).
05Is ThinPrep Pap Test right for you
Who gets the most out of ThinPrep Pap Test at Oshun.
Who should not have ThinPrep
No absolute contraindications. Active heavy menstrual bleeding may make interpretation difficult.
ThinPrep Pap Test isn't a one-size category — the right approach depends on your specific situation. Below are common patient profiles we see. If one sounds like you, an in-person consultation at 9 Devon Road is the next step.
Routine screening
Routine screening on the recommended interval
The standard indication: cervical cancer screening on the age-appropriate interval (every 3 years 21–29; every 5 years with HPV co-test 30–65 if prior normal).
HPV co-testing
Pap plus high-risk HPV from one sample
From age 30 onwards, co-testing with high-risk HPV from the same ThinPrep vial provides the most sensitive cervical screening.
Post-treatment surveillance
Surveillance after treatment for CIN
Patients who had a LEEP or cone biopsy for high-grade cervical disease enter a closer surveillance schedule with ThinPrep and HPV co-testing.
Pregnancy screening
Screening during pregnancy if due
Pap smear during pregnancy is safe and is performed if the routine interval is due. Treatment of any abnormal results is generally deferred until postpartum.
06Logistics, cost & safety
Booking and pricing.
Consultation policy
Every ThinPrep Pap Test patient meets Dr. Rockhead in person at the 9 Devon Road clinic before any procedure is scheduled. (Virtual consultations are not currently offered.)
Where treatments happen
ThinPrep Pap Test is performed at Oshun, 9 Devon Road, Kingston, as part of the annual gynaecological exam.
What it costs
ThinPrep is priced as the test fee plus the laboratory pathology fee.
How to pay
Cash, debit, credit card, or approved financing.
Insurance
Cervical cancer screening is typically covered by insurance with proper documentation.
If this sounds right
The next step is a conversation, not a commitment.
Every ThinPrep Pap Test patient at Oshun starts with a consultation. Twenty minutes, in-person at 9 Devon Road, with Dr. Rockhead. No procedure is scheduled, no quote is signed, no pressure either way. You leave with a plan and a price — or you leave with neither.
No obligation · Every consultation is in-person with Dr. Rockhead.
The honest answers
Nine questions every nervous first-timer asks.
Open any of them. We've written each answer the way Dr. Rockhead would actually say it — not the way a brochure would.
How often do I need a Pap smear?
Current guidelines: every 3 years from age 21–29; every 5 years with HPV co-test from age 30–65 if prior results have been normal. After age 65 with adequate prior screening, screening can typically stop. Patients with abnormal history follow a closer schedule.
Is ThinPrep different from a conventional Pap?
Yes — ThinPrep is a liquid-based cytology, where cells are suspended in preservative liquid. The conventional Pap (now largely obsolete) smeared cells directly onto a slide. ThinPrep has better sample quality and allows HPV co-testing from the same vial.
Does the test screen for all cancers?
ThinPrep screens specifically for cervical cancer and its precursors. Ovarian, uterine, and other gynaecological cancers require different screening or symptom-driven evaluation.
Is the test painful?
Brief discomfort from the speculum and cervical brush. The collection takes seconds. Light spotting afterwards is possible.
Can I have ThinPrep during my period?
Heavy menses can affect interpretation. Light spotting is usually fine; heavier flow may warrant rescheduling.
What if my ThinPrep is abnormal?
Abnormal results have a specific follow-up plan depending on the finding (ASCUS, LSIL, HSIL, etc.). Dr. Rockhead reviews the result with you and writes the next step — usually colposcopy or repeat testing.
Can I get HPV testing from the same sample?
Yes — HPV co-testing from the ThinPrep vial is the standard for age 30+. It does not require a separate collection.
Is ThinPrep covered by insurance?
Cervical cancer screening is typically covered with proper documentation.
How do I book a ThinPrep at Oshun?
ThinPrep is collected as part of the annual gynaecological exam. WhatsApp (876) 676-6297 or schedule from this page.
Patient Stories
Real stories, on the record. Coming soon.
Every testimonial below this line will be a real Oshun patient who wrote it themselves, signed a consent form, and gave permission to use their name. Oshun does not buy reviews, ghostwrite reviews, or publish anonymous five-star strings. Real or nothing.
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Staying on the cervical-screening schedule is one of the highest-yield things a woman can do for her long-term health. The annual visit is where the test gets collected, the results get explained, and the next-step plan gets written.
