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Abnormal Pap Smear
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lil_elf_grl posted:
Hey,

I got a call from my gyno's office this morning saying that my pap smear had come back positive for abnormal cells and they scheduled me for a colposcopy on September 17th. I asked the nurse on the phone if it was something that I needed to be worrying about and she said that they type of cells that they detected usually go away on their own, but they were just trying being safe. I haven't had any symptoms of STDs or STIs and a test I had in March came back negative for anything. What could possibly be the cause of the abnormal cells, and should I be actively worrying for the (almost) month that I have to wait for my next appointment?

Thanks!
2 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:Abnormal Pap SmearHey,<br /><br />I got a call from my gyno's office this morning saying that my pap smear had come back positive for abnormal cells and they scheduled me for a colposcopy on September 17th. I asked the nurse on the phone if it was something that I needed to be worrying about and she said that they type of cells that they detected usually go away on their own, but they were just trying being safe. I haven't had any symptoms of STDs or STIs and a test I had in March came back negative for anything. What could possibly be the cause of the abnormal cells, and should I be actively worrying for the (almost) month that I have to wait for my next appointment?<br /><br />Thanks!
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georgiagail responded:
The typical cause is the virus HPV; however, even a mild infection on the cervix can cause an abnormal test result on a pap smear. I know this is scary (went through the same thing myself) but it is true what the nurse told you regarding the test results.

The colposcopy is an attempt to look into this matter a bit further; often the procedure itself removes the abnormal cells and follow up pap smears will be normal.

Good luck!

Gail
Report This| Share this:Abnormal Pap SmearThe typical cause is the virus HPV; however, even a mild infection on the cervix can cause an abnormal test result on a pap smear. I know this is scary (went through the same thing myself) but it is true what the nurse told you regarding the test results.<br /> <br />The colposcopy is an attempt to look into this matter a bit further; often the procedure itself removes the abnormal cells and follow up pap smears will be normal.<br /><br />Good luck!<br /><br />Gail
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Anon_6061 responded:
Abnormal pap smears aren't all that uncommon. Fairly harmless conditions such as inflammation, yeast, bacteria can cause an abnormal result. Even if the cells are pre-cancerous they oftentimes return to normal on their own with no further treatment necessary. Oftentimes, an abnormal pap will just be repeated in 4 to 6 months as any abnormalities that don't "self-correct" take quite awhile to progress and require treatment. I had one abnormal pap and my doctor just told me to return for another several months later. It was normal.

Here are a couple of links about pap smears -
http://women.webmd.com/tc/abnormal-pap-test-topic-overview
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/detection/Pap-HPV-testing
Report This| Share this:Abnormal Pap SmearAbnormal pap smears aren't all that uncommon. Fairly harmless conditions such as inflammation, yeast, bacteria can cause an abnormal result. Even if the cells are pre-cancerous they oftentimes return to normal on their own with no further treatment necessary. Oftentimes, an abnormal pap will just be repeated in 4 to 6 months as any abnormalities that don't "self-correct" take quite awhile to progress and require treatment. I had one abnormal pap and my doctor just told me to return for another several months later. It was normal. <br /><br />Here are a couple of links about pap smears - <br /><a href="http://women.webmd.com/tc/abnormal-pap-test-topic-overview">http://women.webmd.com/tc/abnormal-pap-test-topic-overview</a><br /><a href="http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/detection/Pap-HPV-testing">http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/detection/Pap-HPV-testing</a>
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