Pap Smear Fears

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-20-2007
Pap Smear Fears
12
Mon, 02-04-2008 - 1:16pm

I am having my annual exam this week, and I'm terribly scared. I have had two (of about 10) atypical pap smears in my life, and last year was one of them. I went again in April, and it was normal.  However, we found out I had HPV.  THe nurse said it could just go away sometime, but I'm just worried because I want this test to come out just right. I'm 28 and just go off birth control b/c I want to get my regular periods started again, but it's not regular...I've had two periods since I got off in September. 


Any advice or nice thoughts?  I wish I could stop worrying!  I just really want to have a life without female problems.  The rest of me is super healthy...Why do I worry so much?  Help!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-24-2003
Mon, 02-04-2008 - 6:17pm

Ever since I was 17, I've had my PAP smears come back with irregular cells.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Wed, 02-06-2008 - 12:46pm

Newbie stopping by to chime in, hope that's ok. And the CL here is my sis, not biologically, but known her for so long on here that I call her my sis :-)

Anywho, don't stress over this hun. I can tell you of a time three years ago when I went to have my yearly Pap, it came back abnormal. And here I am freaking out because cervical cancer runs on my mother's side of the family. It was the first time I got an abnormal reading and I was panicking. I was told by friends that women get abnormal paps quite frequently once they hit their mid to late twenties. I was 26 at the time, now I'm just shy of 30. Well, I had to go in for a colposcopy, biopsy of my cervix to rule out cervical cancer. When I went in to see her for the colposcopy, she informed I had low grade displaysia. They treated me for it and she says it generally takes about 16 - 18 months for it to rid itself out of your body. Well, it pretty much took that long. After a few days of waiting to hear the results of the biopsy, I was relieved she didn't find any cancerous cells.

However, I had to see her every four months to get paps so she could monitor it. Well, since the biopsy, my pap results would yo-yo. One visit it would come back normal, four months later when I would get another pap, it would come back abnormal. Well, I think after my body decided to simmer itself down, I had one pap that came back abnormal, and then the next two readings came back normal. She also tested me for HPV which I didn't have. She told me if my reading came back abnormal, she would perform a leap on me, meaning she would go in there and cut off that layer of tissue that is causing problems and just let brand new tissue grow. Well thankfully, I had a normal reading and didn't have to have a leap done. I went to see her again in April of 2007, and my reading came back normal. So thankfully, I'm back on the annual pap again,...I hope. I have to see her again in a few months so hopefully I will have another positive reading.

As far as your periods, it sometimes takes the body about two to three months to have a "regular" period, but everyone is different. But like Tracy suggested, I'd definitely ask your OBGYN about it. My Gyno has me on OTC, but I'm going to ask her for a Pill switch as I'm not liking it too much, too many menstrual migraines, eating the house down, break through bledding off and on when I know I'm not preggo.

But all in all, I think you will be fine :-)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-24-2003
Wed, 02-06-2008 - 12:55pm
Great to see you over here!!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-20-2007
Wed, 02-06-2008 - 1:05pm

Thank you so much for the reply...I have the appointment tomorrow and I feel like I am going to start any day!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-24-2003
Wed, 02-06-2008 - 5:23pm

I'll have to ask my non-grits-eatin' sis which one she uses, but I think Over The Counter is what she means.


Let me go peench her and find out.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-24-2003
Wed, 02-06-2008 - 10:08pm

An appropriate joke for the situation!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Thu, 02-07-2008 - 7:10am
My apologies, I should have stated what OTC stands for. Generally it does stand for over the counter, but when I was posting over on the Birth Control board, I always used OTC as an abbreviation for Orhto-Tri Cyclen, which is the birth control pill that I'm currently using. Sorry for the confusion and have a good day :-)
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
Tue, 04-01-2008 - 2:28pm

Hi, I was reading this and came up with a question relating to pap smears and birth control.

If someone like me is in a long term relationship and has been with the same partner for a few years and been sexually active with them, is it necessary to get a pap smear every year if you're with the same partner?

I've had a pap smear twice (one a year), since I've been sexually active with my boyfriend, and we plan to stay together/marry, and both times my pap smears have came out fine, so do I really need to get a pap every year?

Also, I know some doctors like mine kind of want you to go in for a pap each year before they give you another year of prescription for the birth control, but I was wondering a doctor will give you or update your BC prescription each year without going in for a pap each year?

Thanks!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-24-2003
Tue, 04-01-2008 - 2:39pm

IF you've had a normal PAP smear all along, you can go every other year (according to my GYN).

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
Tue, 04-01-2008 - 2:52pm
Alright! I wonder if the pharmacist would know. Because sometimes I know they just send doctors faxes and such for permission for patient's prescriptions when it has ran out. Otherwise I will just have to go in when it's that time and ask him, or I guess I could just call the doctors office, not sure if they would know either.!?

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