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nemo725
Dec 18, 2011, 06:16 AM
I am 19 years old and just had an abnormal pap. I am a wreck.It says I had mild dysplasia with "some effects of HPV". Yet it clearly says that I tested negative for HPV asr test.So does this mean I have HPV? I have had 2 paps done within a year, before and during pregnancy, and both were normal. I am 5 months postpartum and nursing with an abnormal pap. What are the chances that it will turn cancer, or carcinoma in situ? I feel like my whole world just crashed on me. I am supposed to get a colpo done, but am at a total loss for words. All I want is answers. I have also had the Gardasil vaccine for HPV and cervical cancer when I was 14, and only had one sexual partner my whole life. Please, help!

joypulv
Dec 18, 2011, 06:29 AM
Don't panic. Have another one (if your doctor says to) in a few months instead of a year. It is very common to show mild abnormality.
From the NY Times last year:
The Pap smear is not a perfectly reliable measure of a woman's risk for cervical cancer. In general, about 10% of Pap smears have abnormal results, but only about 0.1% of the women who have these results actually have cancer. In most cases, abnormal cells are low grade and not likely to progress to cancer or are due to benign conditions, including natural cell changes after menopause.

Notice that it isn't even 1%, it's one tenth of 1%. That is VERY low.

joypulv
Dec 18, 2011, 06:31 AM
And don't worry about the 'after menopause' part either. That's just one of many types of benign conditions.

nemo725
Dec 18, 2011, 06:34 AM
thanks so much! I will make an appt with my GYN tomorrow. I am just so impatient. I wish I can get a LEEP done or cyro to just eliminate it. =[
totally freaking out.

J_9
Dec 18, 2011, 06:35 AM
Abnormal PAP's are common. Don't let the world crumble down around you.

Get the colposcopy done and see what the results are.

nemo725
Dec 18, 2011, 06:37 AM
What about the HPV? The diagnosis says "mild dysplasia with SOME effects of HPV" Though the results under HPV asr says NEGATIVE.

Do you know what that may imply

joypulv
Dec 18, 2011, 07:05 AM
HPV, like most viruses, are everywhere. It's all a matter of degree.
Your GYN may or may not take the time to explain everything, so I would spend several hours doing online searches on all these topics.

Eliz52
Dec 18, 2011, 03:02 PM
You wouldn't even be tested in many countries, pap tests don't help women under 30, not one country has shown a benefit, but all have evidence of harm - young women produce the most false positives, a scary 1 in 3 for women under 25. The cancer is very rare before 30 and rare in all age groups. The pap picks up normal changes in the maturing cervix or transient and harmless infection - that means lots of false positives. The UK recently reviewed the evidence and decided not to screen women under 25, the Netherlands and Finland, it's 30 and only 5 yearly - 5 to 7 tests in total. The Finns have the lowest rates of cc in the world and send the fewest women for colposcopy/biopsies - be careful biopsies (especially cone biopsies) and over-treatment can harm you - cervical damage can lead to premature birth, more c-sections, cervical stenosis, scar tissue, endometriosis etc
The Dutch will shortly move to 5 hrHPV primary triage tests offered at 30, 35, 40, 50 and 60 and only those positive will be offered a 5 yearly pap test. Those negative can follow the hrHPV test schedule or if monogamous or no longer sexually active might choose to stop all testing and revisit the subject if their risk profile changes in the future.
You also should not have pap tests during pregnancy and for up to a year after delivery - you are more likely to get a false positive due to hormonal changes and trauma to the cervix.
So, I'm not the slightest bit surprised you've had a "abnormal" pap test - I'd expect it and yearly and 2 yearly testing is over-screening - older women who want to test should avoid over-screening, 3 or 5 yearly screening provides much better protection from false positives - there are no additional benefits flowing from annual or 2 yearly screening, just lots more risk.
If your partner was also a virgin when you got together you should do some reading - lifetime mutually monogamous women have a near zero risk from cervical cancer - you can't catch HPV, an STD, from another virgin. Virgin means true virgin, no intercourse or any genital to genital contact.
I despair to see so many women being recklessly and excessively tested - it just causes worry, fear and harm.
See: http://patientprivacy.blogspot.com/2011/09/womens-privacy-concerns-part-7.html - take a look at the research by Dr Raffle.
So, stop worrying - you're more likely to be beamed up by aliens than have an issue with cervical cancer! You wouldn't even be tested in many countries for your own protection. Young women should simply see a doctor if they develop persistent and unusual symptoms, but pap testing simply doesn't work - some say because the terribly rare cases that happen in young women are usually adenocarcinoma and that even rarer form of cc is often missed by pap tests - they were designed to screen for squamous cell carcinoma (the more common form of cc, but still rare) 0.65% is the lifetime risk of cc - less than 1%, so keep the risk in perspective.

JudyKayTee
Dec 18, 2011, 03:11 PM
"The appropriate frequency of Pap testing is dependent on age and sexual activity (see Screening: Cervical Cancer (ages 13-18), (ages 19-29), (ages 30-49), (ages 50 and up). The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) revised their guidelines in 2009 to recommend that screening with Pap smears begin no earlier than age 21 and then be performed every two years until age 29. A Pap smear may not be required more than once every three years at 30 years of age and after, with three consecutive normal Pap smears and presence of no other abnormalities. ACOG also recommends that women 30 years of age or older be offered the option of having an HPV DNA test along with the Pap smear. If both are negative, testing should be performed no sooner than every three years."

Pap Smear: The Test (http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/pap/tab/test)

I realize that this comes too late for you. I am well aware of the guidelines BUT I follow my Physician's advice. If he says every year, I go every year.