The 411 on Abnormal Pap Smear Results
An abnormal pap smear doesn’t have to be scary.
It’s scary to get a phone call telling you that your pap smear results were not normal and you will need to come in for more testing. Thankfully, there are many causes of abnormal pap smear results and the majority do not mean that you have cancer–but instead that the cells located in the cervix have changed for one reason or another. In some cases, whatever has caused them to be abnormal may resolve on its own and others will need to have another pap smear to confirm those changes or additional testing to look more closely at the cells themselves. Abnormal pap smears can be caused by a variety of sources and your doctor will be able to tell you about your own case, but there are a few common causes. (more…)