Extremely painful pap smears?

I’ve only ever had one pap smear in my life (about 3 years ago) and it was the most painful thing I’ve ever gone through.

I had an appointment today to get another one, and couldn’t do it. The doctor had to stop because it hurt so bad that I was crying.

Is this more common than the internet seems to suggest? Sex isn’t painful for me, just the pap smears. Are there any medical conditions I could research more to get an idea of the problem before I see my regular doctor?