What May Lead to an Unusual Pap Test?

Every year, millions of people have Pap smears or Pap tests to check for cervical cancer. (The bottom portion of the uterus that opens into the vagina is called the cervix.) This straightforward process is a component of a typical gynecologist appointment. The process of a Pap smear involves taking a cervix sample and sending the cells to a lab where a specialist examines them under a microscope to determine if they are normal or abnormal.
Pap tests may cause considerable discomfort and even embarrassment. Nonetheless, the majority of Pap test results are normal. Adi Davidov, MD, the director of gynecology and robotic surgery at Staten Island University Hospital, told Health that between 2% and 5% of individuals who have a Pap test—named after the exam’s creator, George Papanicolaou—will experience an aberrant result.
If you fall into that category, you undoubtedly have some concerns about what “abnormal” actually entails. What you should know is as follows.

What Situations Lead to an Unusual Pap Smear?

Papillomavirus in humans (HPV)
First off, having abnormal cells on your Pap test results does not always indicate malignancy. “A Pap smear may be abnormal for a variety of reasons,” family physician Nazia Munir, MD, of Detroit’s Henry Ford Health System, told Health. “The most common is the human papillomavirus.”
Nearly all occurrences of cervical cancer are caused by HPV. However, having the virus does not always indicate that you have cancer. The virus is sexually transmitted, and around 90% of the time it goes away on its own with no trace. “A lot of times patients have HPV and are completely asymptomatic,” stated Dr. Munir. Even though they may only have minor symptoms, some people can recover fully.
According to Leslie McCloskey, MD, an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and women’s health at Saint Louis University, mild, moderate, or severe abnormal growths in cervical cells caused by HPV will be classified as precancerous or cancerous alterations. Your healthcare professional will assist you in choosing the appropriate course of action if this occurs.
Important Information About HPV

infections
Atypical Pap smears may be caused by certain vaginal infections. According to a 2021 study that was published in the Europasian Journal of Medical Sciences, cervical-vaginal infections affected 14.39% of patients who had abnormal smears.
In a July 2020 study published in the Indian Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS, researchers discovered that, among other problems, 96% of the Pap smears from 50 patients were abnormal and showed signs of STIs such trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
In addition to causing alterations in cervical cells, yeast infections—medically referred to as candidiasis—can also induce aberrant results on Pap smears. Fortunately, therapy is available for each of these illnesses.

Other Reasons for Pap Test Abnormalities
Rarely, even inflammation—possibly from recent sexual activity—can cause an aberrant Pap test result. Additionally, because estrogen levels are declining, menopause can trigger alterations in cervical cells. “When there’s not that much estrogen, cells can look funny and mimic precancerous conditions,” stated Dr. Davidov.

What Takes Place Following an Unusual Pap Smear?
Your healthcare physician will want to follow up to see what, if anything, is going on if your Pap test results show abnormalities.
Your healthcare practitioner may request a follow-up test to check for HPV DNA if you haven’t already had one. This will indicate whether HPV is the most likely reason for the anomalous findings. Although it won’t indicate if you have the condition, it can even tell you whether you have one of the particular strains (often HPV 16 or 18) that cause cervical cancer.
A colposcopy is the following step. A colposcopy is defined by Medline Plus as an examination of the cervix by a healthcare professional using a colposcope, an instrument resembling a microscope. To temporarily modify the color of any abnormal patches on the cervix and make them easier to see for your healthcare professional, a diluted vinegar solution is typically used.
Dr. McCloskey stated that not every abnormal Pap test necessitates a colposcopy, particularly in younger ladies. “We might decide to repeat a Pap test in six months or a year because their risk of having [cervical cancer] is so low,” to check if the findings are still abnormal.
Healthcare professionals will do a biopsy, which is the removal of a tiny sample of tissue or cells to be tested further in the lab, if anything during a colposcopy appears to be more than slightly off. You can find out with precision if you have cancer or precancerous alterations with a biopsy. “If the biopsy result confirms that there is a precancerous condition, the patient usually requires treatment that removes the precancerous condition,” stated Dr. Davidov.

Additional Information About Pap Smears
According to MedlinePlus, individuals under 30 should generally receive a Pap test every three years beginning at age 21, if their Pap smear findings are normal. People with normal Pap smear findings from 30 to 65 years old should get one every three years in addition to a normal HPV test every Animale Me Capsules experiences five years. In cases when patients over 65 have had normal Pap smears over a period of time or have undergone a hysterectomy or surgical excision of the cervix as a result of a non-cancerous ailment, healthcare practitioners may conclude that these individuals no longer require Pap screenings.
Regardless of whether you have had an HPV vaccination, these recommendations are still valid. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) states that not all HPV strains are protected against by the vaccinations. Furthermore, if you have a greater risk of cervical cancer, you may need to be checked more regularly than every three to five years or beyond the age of 65. As stated by MedlinePlus, prior abnormal Pap smears, an HIV diagnosis, a compromised immune system, or exposure to Diethylstilbestrol (DES), a medication recommended for the prevention of miscarriages between 1940 and 1971, before to birth can all raise your chance of developing cervical cancer.
The Pap smear can still be performed normally even if you are pregnant at the time of the test. If necessary, medical professionals can even do a colposcopy as a follow-up on abnormal Pap findings.
Pap smears can be obtained while on your period.

A Brief Recap
A Pap test can identify potential problems, but it cannot identify the specific issue. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that around 12,000 women receive a cervical cancer diagnosis each year, and approximately 4,000 of those women pass away from the illness. Dr. McCloskey stated that majority, however, are avoidable “if patients come for Paps and for the appropriate follow-up.”