It’s done in your doctor’s office or clinic and takes about 10 to 20 minutes. You’ll lie on a table with your feet placed firmly in stirrups. You’ll spread your legs, and your doctor will insert a metal or plastic tool (speculum) into your vagina. He or she will open it so that it widens the vaginal walls. This allows your doctor to see your cervix. Your doctor will use a swab to take a sample of cells from your cervix. He or she will place them into a liquid substance in a small jar, and send them to a lab for review.