An abnormal result means that cell changes were found on your cervix. This usually does not mean that you have cervical cancer. Abnormal changes on your cervix are likely caused by HPV. The changes may be minor (low-grade) or serious (high-grade).
In fact, many women with HPV will never have an abnormal pap smear. That being said, routine screening with your provider is the only way to follow any changes to the cervix that could lead to cervical cancer.
About 5% of all Pap tests will be abnormal, meaning that the sample contains atypical cervical cells. However, the majority of these cells are not cancerous or even precancerous.
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.
No screening test is 100% effective
an HPV infection or abnormal cells can sometimes be missed (a 'false negative' result) abnormal cells can develop and turn into cancer in between screening tests.
Follow-up tests and procedures after an abnormal Pap test (Pap smear) or HPV test. Keep in mind that most people with abnormal cervical screening test results do not have cancer. However, if you have an abnormal test result, it's important to get the follow-up care that your health care provider recommends.
Cervical cell changes happen slowly. It can take many years for cells infected with HPV to develop into cervical cancer. We have great tools to prevent cervical cancer. Cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination can prevent cervical cancer.
Symptoms of human papillomavirus (HPV)
HPV does not usually cause any symptoms. Most people who have it do not realise and do not have any problems. But sometimes the virus can cause painless growths or lumps around your vagina, penis or anus (genital warts).
HPV found with no cell changes - means you have high-risk HPV, but you do not have changes to your cervical cells. So you will be invited for cervical screening sooner to check that the HPV has gone. This usually after a year.
HPV may have been contracted a long time ago. The infection could have been lying dormant for a long time. Furthermore, it can take years for an HPV infection to cause abnormalities in the cervical cells that are detectable during a pap smear.
The most common are small, hard sores called warts, but not everyone who has HPV gets them. They may be raised, flat, or shaped like a cauliflower, and they can be different sizes. They can show up on your genital area or other places, depending on the type of the virus you have. These warts often go away on their own.
In most cases (9 out of 10), HPV goes away on its own within two years without health problems. But when HPV does not go away, it can cause health problems like genital warts and cancer. Genital warts usually appear as a small bump or group of bumps in the genital area.
If you still have HPV after 3 years, you may need to have a colposcopy. You'll be asked to have a colposcopy. Information: HPV is a common virus and most people will get it at some point.
There is no sure way to know when you got HPV or who gave it to you. A person can have HPV for many years before it is detected.
HPV has a 'dormancy' period, which means that the virus spends some time in our body without causing any harm, this is usually a couple of years but can stretch to decades. When HPV is dormant it can't be detected by a test, but it can become active later which is when it would be picked up in cervical screening.
This is called a persistent HPV infection. The HPV may then cause the epithelial cells to change. Changed cells can make copies of themselves and the new cells will also be different. They might turn into cervical cancer over time if they are not monitored or treated.
Usually, your immune system gets rid of HPV within 2 years. But in some cases, HPV may stay in your body for longer. Sometimes HPV does not cause any harm and will not be picked up by a test. We call this 'dormant' or 'clinically insignificant' HPV.
Almost all cervical cancers are thought to be caused by HPV infections. While there are often no signs of early cervical cancer, some signs may include: Increased vaginal discharge, which may be pale, watery, pink, brown, bloody, or foul-smelling.
Most cases of HPV are asymptomatic, meaning you will not have any noticeable signs or symptoms. For those who do experience symptoms, they may include: Genital warts (a bump or group of bumps in the genital area) Cervical dysplasia (the presence of abnormal precancerous cells on the cervix)
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.
Those who said they were depressed or believed they had high levels of stress also still had an active HPV infection. HPV usually clears up on its own, but this study is really the first to indicate a link between stress and persistent HPV infection.
If HPV isn't found, you won't need to be screened for another 3 years. However, if HPV is found, or if more significant cell changes (moderate or severe) are detected again, you should be referred for another colposcopy.
– there's no evidence that HPV has triggers like herpes or asthma that cause flare ups, but many believe that a weakened immune system can lead to outbreaks being more likely. Genital warts are more likely to flare-up if your immune system is not able to effectively fight the HPV infection causing them to appear.