A cervical smear is a screening procedure in which a sample of cells lining the cervix (the area connecting the vagina and uterus) is collected using a special brush. In liquid-based cytology (LBC), the cells are placed directly into a container of preservative solution, rather than being smeared onto a glass slide. This improves sample quality and reduces contaminating material (such as inflammatory cells and blood), allowing for more accurate screening and potentially additional tests, such as for human papillomavirus (HPV), from the same sample.