cambria
05-04-2006, 07:13 PM
I just had my 2nd follow-up pap after cryotherapy on Tuesday. My first pap came back showing very slight atypical cells (didn't require treatment), and the HPV test came back negative. My question is... if I tested negative for HPV, then how come I didn't have a completely normal pap? I asked my dr about it and she said that the slight atypical cells could have just been from my cervix still healing. But I'm still a little confused. If HPV was what caused my very first abnormal pap which required cryo, then why didn't my test turn up positive at my first follow-up pap? How can I *not* have HPV, but not have a normal pap?
The whole thing makes me kind of mad because my first dr, who I was seeing when I had the first abnormal pap and cryo, told me that they don't do HPV tests with the pap because they're so expensive and because HPV is nearly always the cause of an abnormal pap. Well that's obviously total crap because my new dr did the test and I don't even have insurance and the whole visit and lab fees were only a total of like $150. So now I'm mad that I didn't get that first HPV test, b/c now I have doubts as to whether I even had/have HPV. Anyone have any input on that? Is it pretty much for sure that it was caused by HPV?
The whole thing makes me kind of mad because my first dr, who I was seeing when I had the first abnormal pap and cryo, told me that they don't do HPV tests with the pap because they're so expensive and because HPV is nearly always the cause of an abnormal pap. Well that's obviously total crap because my new dr did the test and I don't even have insurance and the whole visit and lab fees were only a total of like $150. So now I'm mad that I didn't get that first HPV test, b/c now I have doubts as to whether I even had/have HPV. Anyone have any input on that? Is it pretty much for sure that it was caused by HPV?
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Mom22greatkids
05-06-2006, 03:05 PM
I'm not sure of the actual percentage of hpv being the cause of abnormal paps but I think it's in the high 90 percent. I guess it's possible for the test to be negative if all the bad cells wrere removed and the very slight atypical cells were from your healing cervix. How long after treatment did you get a follow up pap? Are you scheduled for another pap in a few months?
Thisby
05-06-2006, 06:11 PM
I have heard that HPV is 'always' or '99%' the cause of an abnormal PAP. The tests aren't done here (where we have free health care) because I guess they figure there's no point. What matters is your abnormal PAP, not how you got it. If someone's problem progresses to something more severe, then I could see them doing the tests to determine which strain of HPV caused it, because they've identified which strains do, but I guess the medical community has different opinions on if they should test at that stage.
Also, how long was it between all these treatments/visits?
Also, how long was it between all these treatments/visits?