<p>D is a college junior. 2nd annual pap came back abnormal. Repeat will be done at school clinic next week as her own Gyn is here. She’s had the 1st 2 Gardisil injections and is due for the 3rd in September. How worried should I be?</p>
<p>Try not to worry till she gets the 2nd test result (yeah - I know - easier said than done). I think false positives are not uncommon and sometimes after the next monthly cycle has passed cells slough off and everything is normal again. I had one once in my 20s (long time ago) and the follow up test was clear and I have been fine since. So don’t buy trouble yet - wait for the retest and go from there. </p>
<p>I know you will worry anyway {{{{hugs}}}}</p>
<p>Try not to worry. I’ve had three abnormals in my lifetime, and they’ve always turned up fine on the second pass through.</p>
<p>Good for your dd for getting those pap smears!</p>
<p>Did the doctor say what the abnormality was? </p>
<p>This site [Abnormal</a> Pap Smears – familydoctor.org](<a href=“http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/women/reproductive/gynecologic/223.html]Abnormal”>Women - familydoctor.org) outlines various abnormal results. Some types of abnormalities suggest HPV, some abnormalities show pre-cancerous cells, and other abnormalities may be due to common inflammation. According to this site [Abnormal</a> Pap Smears](<a href=“http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/papsmears/a/abnormalpaps.htm]Abnormal”>Sexual Health) yeast infections and recent sexual activity may cause abnormal pap smears.</p>
<p>As others have said, there’s no use in worrying. The second test may be fine.</p>
<p>Thanks for the quick reply. I’ve had a couple come back abnormal myself, but that was ME. Of course I’ll worry more about her. We found this out yesterday and I’m definitely being positive. Just seeking more information and reassurance!</p>
<p>corranged is correct. There are different types of abnormalities and it’s important to determine what the abnormality was. The doctor should have told your D that. This will determine what happens next.</p>
<p>Definitely easier to say “don’t worry” than to do it. In this case, though, try hard to take that advice. I have known quite a few women who got false positives.</p>
<p>I’ve gotten false positives a couple of times. If the cervical tissue is irritated the cells can appear abnormal. In my case I was developing a sensitivity to spermicides.</p>
<p>Sometimes I’m actually happy to be post-menopausal!</p>
<p>Abnormal does not mean cancer - like someone else above suggested.</p>
<p>Whatever you do, don’t start looking up the worst case scenarios on the internet! I once convinced myself that I had congestive heart failure. I was 23 at the time.</p>
<p>False positives happen all the time with pap smears, but I know that requiring further evaluation on things like that is always scary. During my monthly self-checks, I found a lump once, went to my doctor, and she was able to pick it out right away. Faced with the fact that I wasn’t imagining it, I burst into tears. My doctor sent me to get an ultrasound the next day and it turned out to be nothing, but it’s always scary until you know for certain. The next time something like that happened, I was able to remind myself that these things usually don’t pan out to be anything terrible, and was able to keep my worries down to a dull pit-of-stomach butterflies thing.</p>
<p>In the remote chance that it <em>does</em> turn out to be something that needs further attention (using “remote chance” in the same sense that flight attendants do when they’re showing you how to use your oxygen masks!!), think how incredibly early they’ll be able to intercept it. Reiterating kudos for your daughter for being so responsible about her health!</p>
<p>Do not worry yet. Pap smears have both false positives and false negatives (up to 20% false negatives), young women are especially prone to have inflammatory abnormalities that look like dysplasia - the term we use for pre-neoplastic (pre-cancerous) abnormalities. She is being responsible!
Her follow-up testing can be very variable, too, the important thing is that she gets follow-up. She may be asked to come back for another smear in a few months, have a test for HPV (Gardisil should not interfere with this, the test directly tests for HPV DNA, not antibodies), or have colposcopy (a procedure where the doctor examines the cervix directly under magnification).</p>
<p>Speaking of female matters…I was just going to post a similar topic today, so I’ll ask here.</p>
<p>My D is 23 and married. She is on birth control pills and says she skipped a period. (She is not on one of the pills where you don’t have a cycle every month.) She did a pregnancy test which was negative. So…what could cause a woman to skip her period when she is on the pill other than pregnancy? Also, she is not overly thin. I know that can cause irregular cycles. She is probably 10 lbs. or so overweight, if anything. She has Generalized Anxiety Disorder and takes Effexor and Klonopin for that.</p>
<p>Stress? .</p>
<p>Just did a google search:
According to the National Cancer Institute, 6% of Paps come back as false positives. The ones that are truly positive do not necessarily mean cancer cells are found.
From my own experience (and so many of my friends) we’ve all had the false positives and the second Pap was normal.
Concern is OK but try not to get crazy over this as the 6% rate is pretty high.</p>
<p>For the questions re: skipping a period on birth control pills… pretty normal in my case. Not a chronic thing, but happens now and then. Don’t think anxiety and meds are an issue, just her body. (Can be kind of convenient.)</p>
<p>Even if it turns out not to be a false positive, most abnormalities detected in this way can be corrected with local treatments that will not impair future fertility.</p>
<p>In other words, this is an annoying bit of medical bother but not anything to panic about.</p>
<p>Thanks to you all for the calming input and sage advise. I knew I could count on you!</p>
<p>Timely, I missed a period two different times while on the pill many years ago. Once was when I had a shot of cortisone. The other time was right before my wedding … stress can do odd things to the body.</p>
<p>My D had an abnormal pap smear 2 times in a row. I had abnormal cells as a 21 year old and was treated with Cryosurgery, which is a simple office procedure. Drs today prefer to keep repeat testing every 6 months. Finally a year later, my D’s pap came back normal. Dr said he still wants to do another pap in 6 months. But I wouldn’t worry if I were you. I told my D to make sure to eat well, take her vitamins and get enough sleep!</p>
<p>I have a question for the group.</p>
<p>I know that my doctor’s office does pap smears, and I’m assuming they do full pelvic exams. I like the doctors in the practice a lot, and I’m thinking about dropping my gynecologist and getting my pelvic exam done by one of the GP’s at my normal doctor’s office. Is there a real advantage in seeing a gynecologist for the exam versus a primary care doctor?</p>
<p>Corranged,</p>
<p>In my case, it depended on my hormonal situation. Once I had made it through the onset of menopause (whew!) and my concerns were not specifically of the reproductive variety, I made a point of finding a generalist who was competent to handle the issues of a person in “my stage of life” and beyond. She does my pelvics and paps, advises re: osteoporosis and other concerns, as well as general health issues. She is also significantly younger than I am, so I hope this relationship can continue beyond my retirement!</p>