Georgios Nikolaou Papanikolaou presented the findings of his first cervical smear tests in 1928, forever changing the course of female reproductive health screening and cancer prevention protocols. traveler1116/Getty Images/HowStuffWorks
For better or worse, few of us have inherently positive associations with routine medical exams. But while you d be hard pressed to find any woman super stoked to receive a cervical cancer screener known as the Pap smear (or Pap test), learning about the procedure s game-changing introduction into modern medicine might give you a newfound appreciation for its significance. And behind the unprecedented test is a man who collaborated with his wife in an effort to save women s lives: Georgios Papanikolaou.