When I was 16 years old I had an abnormal pap smear and my doctor sent me to a specialist to look at my cervix. I had a biopsy done and I was told that I had cervical dysplasia. They did cryotherapy treatment in September 2006 and I continued going back every 6 months for two years. On what was supposed to be my very last visit in August 2008, I was told that my test results came back showing some abnormal cells again. I went back in February 2009, which was 6 months later, and had another test. My doctor called me again today and told me "you're not perfect yet so you can't leave until you're perfect". I don't really understand what's wrong with me. Since I was 16 no one has ever really explained what's wrong with me, I had to find out most of what I know from the internet. I tried talking to my doctor about it but I was crying too much to really comprehend what he was saying. From what I remember I asked him if something was wrong, and he said that sometimes it takes awhile for it to heal(I don't know what he means I just remember him saying that), or it could be that the virus isn't gone yet and what I had before is returning. I think that it's returning because I had treatment three years ago and I was fine until August 2008.

What does he mean by "virus"? I don't even know what caused me to have this in the first place, no one has ever told me. I read that HPV can cause it but I don't know what caused this to happen to me. And if it is returning, what's going to happen to me? I wanted to ask my doctor but I was too upset. I wanted to know what happens if when I go back in 6 months the cells are still showing up abnormal? Will they do another cryotherapy treatment or will they do something else? I don't understand what's going on with me :( No one has ever really explained it to me. What virus is he talking about? And is it possible that this virus will never go away and I'll always have this problem for the rest of my life? Can someone please try and explain this to me I'm so scared now :( I tried calling him back but he's gone for the day and I have the worst anxiety now :( Will it ever go away?

I assume the virus he is talking about is HPV. It will go away, over time, on its own for some women. HPV is a common virus that is picked up through sexual contact and is a common reason for cervical dysplasia. Most women never they know they have it and they never have any problems with it.

If you still have abnormal cells when you get rechecked, your doctor may do another cryotherapy treatment, but it might be better in this case to actually have the cells removed and looked at to determine if further treatment is warranted. There are several procedures to do this, most will be done right in the doctor's office, but some may require you to go in for outpatient surgery.

I assume the virus he is talking about is HPV. It will go away, over time, on its own for some women. HPV is a common virus that is picked up through sexual contact and is a common reason for cervical dysplasia. Most women never they know they have it and they never have any problems with it.

If you still have abnormal cells when you get rechecked, your doctor may do another cryotherapy treatment, but it might be better in this case to actually have the cells removed and looked at to determine if further treatment is warranted. There are several procedures to do this, most will be done right in the doctor's office, but some may require you to go in for outpatient surgery.

Thank you so much for replying. What happens if I'm treated again and the abnormal cells still return? I'm scared that's going to keep returning and eventually it will turn into cancer. I don't know if that's even possible but I'm scared. When I was first diagnosed he said that it was mild dysplasia so I assumed it wasn't anything too serious but now I'm worried. Is it normal that it returns after treatment? I had the first treatment almost three years ago and it worries me that it returned after 3 years.

What your doctor decides to do will depend on what he can see during an exam. He may determine it is a mild case again and either keep an eye on it to see if it clears on its own, or he might do something more like the cryotherapy. If he thinks it is necessary, or he has difficulty seeing how much there is, he may want to do a biopsy and take some of the cells to have them checked. This can be done very simply, pretty much like a regular vaginal exam in the office, or perhaps having a D & C done so that more cells can be removed and sent to pathology. In severe cases, or sometimes in cases that get left untreated for a long time, they can sometimes develop into precancerous or cancerous cells, which is the reason why women should get regular checks.
Not too often, more surgery may become suggested, but that is more common in someone much older and will depend on the individual situation. If you were to have a number of repeated episodes, your doctor may suggest some more invasive treatment at that time as well... but they would be after all other avenues have been tried first.

Is it common for it to return? And what causes it to return? I know that the HPV is always in my body but what makes it become active again? Does that mean it's always going to do this? Sorry if I'm asking so many questions but I won't be able to speak with my doctor until next week and I have so much I want to know. I don't know why it's coming back and I'm scared that it's going to keep coming back. I thought that I was done with this and now I'm so sad because it's coming back.

I wanted to know something. During the two years after treatment I was not living a very healthy lifestyle. I continued having unprotected sex with my ex-boyfriend, who was the one who gave me the HPV from cheating on me, and he continued cheating on me throughout the next two years by having unprotected sex with other girls and then coming back to me. I didn't know this at the time but I'm sure that was not good for me. I also used to smoke weed very often, like on a daily basis, and drink alcohol. I wanted to know if things like that can cause it to return? Again sorry I'm asking so many questions but I really want to understand what's going on with me. Thank you.

No need to apologise for asking questions... that's the whole point of the site... :)

Yes, it can be common for it to return... but it is also common to have it taken care of and never have any signs of it again. There are many different strains of HPV as well. Usually your body will take care of it on its own, but a weakened immune system, poor diet, and smoking can make it harder for your body to fight the virus.

You can't change anything that happened in the past, but you can make changes today. If you smoke, quit... if you know your diet isn't the best, start eating healthier foods... take a multivitamin each day as insurance, but the biggest boost will be in the healthier foods you take in.

Your doctor will go over things in more detail, at least he should. There will likely also be pamphlets in the office and you can certainly check out different sites online as well.

I wish you well... have been through it myself.

Thank you so much for answering all my questions. I'm going to stop smoking weed, I started taking a multivitamin and another vitamin that is supposed to help boost your immune system. I really hope that I won't need another treatment, I'm sure you know how scary it can be. This happened to me when I was really young and there's so much that I wish I could change but I can't. I just hope that it will clear up and go away forever after this.