What causes an abnormal Pap test? Most abnormal Pap tests are caused by HPV infections. Other types of infection—such as those caused by bacteria, yeast, or protozoa (Trichomonas)—sometimes lead to minor changes on a Pap test called atypical squamous cells.
A yeast infection can cause some cells to appear abnormal, which means that the results of a Pap smear come back as ASC-US. However, this is not an indication of cervical cancer.
The vaginal Candida infection was significantly negatively correlated with HPV infection (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.48–0.8; P < 0.001). This might be due to the presenting symptoms of Candida vaginitis, such as leukorrhea, vulvar pruritus, dyspareunia, and dysuria43, encouraging patients to seek timely gynecological screening.
Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and even yeast infections can cause a slightly abnormal pap smear. Your doctor will recommend the best course of action based on the results of your test. This can range from scheduling another Pap in three to six months, to getting a colposcopy.
Pap Results Are Often Inaccurate
Sometimes these false positive Paps can be explained by a recent vaginal infection, or trauma to the cervix due to douching, tampons, or intercourse; sometimes the false positives just represent an inherent limitation of the test.
HPV spreads through sexual contact and is very common in young people — frequently, the test results will be positive. However, HPV infections often clear on their own within a year or two. Cervical changes that lead to cancer usually take several years — often 10 years or more — to develop.
Don't panic.
In most cases, your body is able to fight HPV on its own, and the virus will go away without causing any health problems in one or two years.
The STIs that can be diagnosed by Pap smear are trichomoniasis, HPV infection, herpes genitalis, candidiasis, and bacterial vaginosis.
Screening will pick up human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, which causes the cell changes that could lead to cervical cancer. Even if you haven't had sex for years, you should still attend screening because you may have come into contact with HPV from a previous partner, months or even years ago.
If you got a positive HPV test and your Pap test was abnormal, your doctor will probably follow up with a colposcopy. Try to see a physician who specializes in this procedure. During a colposcopy, your doctor will look more closely at the cervix, vagina or vulva with a special microscope called a colposcope.
Health problems related to HPV include genital warts and cervical cancer. Genital warts: Prior to HPV vaccines, genital warts caused by HPV affected roughly 340,000 to 360,000 people yearly.* About one in 100 sexually active adults in the U.S. has genital warts at any given time.
Sometimes medical problems not directly related to the cervix are detected, such as vaginal thrush. This shouldn't stop the smear being taken, and treatment can be recommended or prescribed.”
Conclusion: In the present study, conventional Pap smear demonstrates good accuracy to detect BV. Pap testing for cervical cancer screening can additionally serve as an effective screening tool for diagnosing BV among women with genital infection in healthcare settings.
Most abnormal Pap tests are caused by HPV infections. Other types of infection—such as those caused by bacteria, yeast, or protozoa (Trichomonas)—sometimes lead to minor changes on a Pap test called atypical squamous cells.
Other things can cause cells to look abnormal, including irritation, some infections (such as a yeast infection), growths (such as polyps in the uterus), and changes in hormones that occur during pregnancy or menopause. Although these things may make cervical cells look abnormal, they are not related to cancer.
HPV-related cancers often take years to develop after getting an HPV infection. Cervical cancer usually develops over 10 or more years. There can be a long interval between being infected with HPV, the development of abnormal cells on the cervix and the development of cervical cancer.
A Pap test screens for cancer of the cervix (the passageway between the vagina and the uterus). A Pap test can also be used to screen for non-visible (subclinical) human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. The Pap test is not a specific test for HPV, although sometimes the results suggest that HPV might be present.
The most common reason for a negative Pap test with a positive HPV result is that the patient has an HPV infection, but the infection is not causing any cellular abnormalities. Cellular abnormalities caused by HPV can be quite focal on the cervix, while the HPV infection can be more widespread.
It's up to 30 percent of people [who] are falsely positive." These false positive cases can lead to unnecessary, higher risk follow-up procedures, like biopsies. "That's a lot of women that are unnecessarily worried.
Q: How long after exposure does it usually take for something to be detectable? A: Changes consistent with HPV can usually be detected within 3-6 months after exposure to the infection.
A person can have HPV for many years before it is detected. found on your HPV test does not cause genital warts. used all the time and the right way. Condoms may also lower your chances of getting other types of HPV or developing HPV-related diseases (genital warts and cervical cancer).
If the HPV test is positive, you may need additional follow-up tests. Atypical glandular cells (AGC): Some glandular cells were found that do not look normal. This can be a sign of a more serious problem up inside the uterus, so your healthcare provider will likely ask you to come back for a colposcopy.
Most HPV infections go away on their own and don't cause any health problems. However, if HPV does not go away, it can cause health problems like genital warts. It also can cause certain kinds of cancer. We do not know why HPV causes health problems in some people and not others.