Female Body Concerns / Question
Published: March 17, 2004
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I recently went to the gyn and had my first pap. About a week and a half later, the nurse called me back and said that I had some abnormal cells from my pap smear, and I would need to come back in for more tests. What does this mean?
Signed: Abnormal Pap? What Does This Mean?
Dear Abnormal Pap? What Does This Mean?,
A pap examination is a screening test for cervical cancer and pre-cancerous conditions. Abnormal Pap results are often explained by an infection or an inflammation. Yeast infections, herpes, trichomonas, recent sexual activity, or use of vaginal preparations are things that cause an abnormal Pap smear result. Many times the culprit of an abnormal Pap is HPV or human papilloma virus, sometimes referred to as genital warts. HPV is a common infection in women and most are completely unaware that they have it. (For more information, check out Pap Smear! - What Happens?
To answer your question: FX cannot know for sure exactly what this means for you. Your best bet is to visit your doctor again and he/she can discuss your results with you. The doctor will probably want to do further tests with you (either a repeat pap or a Colposcopy).
It is understandable for you to be scared or worried after receiving these results from your doctor, but to alleviate some of your worries, FX can let you know that most cases of abnormal Pap smear results do not indicate cancer.
Please schedule an appointment with your doctor soon.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
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