Pap Smear Fears
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Pap Smear Fears
| 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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Ever since I was 17, I've had my PAP smears come back with irregular cells.
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 :-)
Thank you so much for the reply...I have the appointment tomorrow and I feel like I am going to start any day!
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.
Over 40 & Loving It,
An appropriate joke for the situation!
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!
IF you've had a normal PAP smear all along, you can go every other year (according to my GYN).
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