Leah007
05-21-2007, 07:54 PM
Hello. I am new to the Health Boards and wanted to share my story and inquire about some information. I aploogize in advance for such a long post. I'm 32 years old and had normal pap smears until now. About last week I received a call from my OB/GYN stating that my recent pap smear came back abnormal with Dysplasia. He told me this was a low grade abnormal cell growth and nothing "to lose sleep over." I'm scheduled for a colposcopy in early June. When I heard about this news I was shocked and frightened! I've been spending that past several days reading all I can about Dysplasia. What concerns me the most right now is reading that HPV is the cause. Now I've read about HPV in the past manifesting as genital warts and being linked to cervical cancer. I've never had any warts. However, after further reading I've recently learned that genital warts is only one strain of HPV. This scares me because I must have HPV if I have Dysplasia. How could I have been so uninformed. With HPV being an STD, I wonder about my future sex life. I'm single and am not CURRENTLY sexually active, though I have been in the past. Does HPV clear up or not even with Dysplasia? Does this mean I will no longer be able to engage in sexual activity with a partner in the future? So on my next appointment I have several questions for the doctor. Any feedback on these matters would be greatly appreciated.
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luzon
05-22-2007, 04:16 AM
Leah ,
I went through pretty much what you have not long ago .To make you feel a bit better with regards to HPV somwhere between 70%-80% of all people have some strain of this virus ,as it is from skin to skin contact not only full sex and it's not sure that condoms help in this case . Only a few of the 1oo strains are conected with cervical cancer, and not all who carry these strains will progress to any stage of pre-cancer-cancer ,in most cases the bodies immune system will fight the virus .
I have my first bad smear at the age of 45 this year with the end result being CIS with unclear margins or I have had two cones and hopefully that is it , I have a follow up next week .
I wasen't tested for HPV ,though my oncologist said there is no doubt that I have it and one of the bad strains . I did read somewhere that peoplewho are tested before going through a cone and after find that they have no indication of HPV . I expect it is dormant . I think that mine was dormant for many years befre rearing it's ugly head .
In short i just wanted to say it's a common virus with most people that are carring it unawares and we just got unlucky that it compromised out health .
Now there is a vacine against the four dangerous strains that I recommend to all my friends who have daughters ( given from age 9-26 ) .
Good luck with your coloscopy results ,
Miri
I went through pretty much what you have not long ago .To make you feel a bit better with regards to HPV somwhere between 70%-80% of all people have some strain of this virus ,as it is from skin to skin contact not only full sex and it's not sure that condoms help in this case . Only a few of the 1oo strains are conected with cervical cancer, and not all who carry these strains will progress to any stage of pre-cancer-cancer ,in most cases the bodies immune system will fight the virus .
I have my first bad smear at the age of 45 this year with the end result being CIS with unclear margins or I have had two cones and hopefully that is it , I have a follow up next week .
I wasen't tested for HPV ,though my oncologist said there is no doubt that I have it and one of the bad strains . I did read somewhere that peoplewho are tested before going through a cone and after find that they have no indication of HPV . I expect it is dormant . I think that mine was dormant for many years befre rearing it's ugly head .
In short i just wanted to say it's a common virus with most people that are carring it unawares and we just got unlucky that it compromised out health .
Now there is a vacine against the four dangerous strains that I recommend to all my friends who have daughters ( given from age 9-26 ) .
Good luck with your coloscopy results ,
Miri
RouxWoman
05-23-2007, 12:10 AM
You may not have HPV!
Only by testing will you know for sure. I just went through this with my doctor where one of the interns "assumed" I had HPV because I had an abnormal pap that came back HGSIL/CINll.
I asked her several times to give me a test and she told me that because of the high percentage of women who have that type of result it was 99.9% certain that I had it!
Well, in the end my doctor did do a test when she did my LEEP and it came back negative. I did not have HPV, so please do not worry so much right now until you are tested. You may be in the percent that does not have HPV!
I do not think that if you do have it it will clear up. I think it is there forever if you have it. Again, do not worry so much until you know for sure, and the best of luck to you.
Only by testing will you know for sure. I just went through this with my doctor where one of the interns "assumed" I had HPV because I had an abnormal pap that came back HGSIL/CINll.
I asked her several times to give me a test and she told me that because of the high percentage of women who have that type of result it was 99.9% certain that I had it!
Well, in the end my doctor did do a test when she did my LEEP and it came back negative. I did not have HPV, so please do not worry so much right now until you are tested. You may be in the percent that does not have HPV!
I do not think that if you do have it it will clear up. I think it is there forever if you have it. Again, do not worry so much until you know for sure, and the best of luck to you.
FromSqueaky
05-23-2007, 11:26 PM
I had an abnormal pap doctor called to tell me about it. Said that in 3 months to come back and he would redo the pap. I went back in 3 months had another pap that one came back abnormal so the following week I went in for a colposcopy. The had me watch a video of it first then the nurse talked it over with me doctor came in took 3 pieces of tissue no bigger than the end of a ball point pen for biopsy. Gave me some Metro Gel to help with the healing and I was on my way. No biggie never hurt I talked to the nurse all the way through it.
I have cervical dysplasia which is just precancerous cells. I am negative for HPV and STD's. I was told the cells may or may not turn cancerous. They can go away on their own.
I read alot about pH balance and started drinking fresh squeezed lemon juice in my water along with better alkaline foods to raise my pH. Mine was very low when I tested it. Started taking multi vitamins along with B6, multi mushrooms and a few others vitamins
I went back last month for my follow up pap after my colopscopy and the pre cancer cells are gone. So I go back in 6 months for another pap and if that's clear then I can start going back every year.
Good Luck
EDIT: HPV is there forever but it can go in remission. Precancer cells everyone has them in their body. You are born with them. If the body is sick, stressed, deficient in vitamins the cells come to surface. If you have precancer cells only they can go away
I have cervical dysplasia which is just precancerous cells. I am negative for HPV and STD's. I was told the cells may or may not turn cancerous. They can go away on their own.
I read alot about pH balance and started drinking fresh squeezed lemon juice in my water along with better alkaline foods to raise my pH. Mine was very low when I tested it. Started taking multi vitamins along with B6, multi mushrooms and a few others vitamins
I went back last month for my follow up pap after my colopscopy and the pre cancer cells are gone. So I go back in 6 months for another pap and if that's clear then I can start going back every year.
Good Luck
EDIT: HPV is there forever but it can go in remission. Precancer cells everyone has them in their body. You are born with them. If the body is sick, stressed, deficient in vitamins the cells come to surface. If you have precancer cells only they can go away
PiercedPunkette
05-24-2007, 01:14 AM
I was diagnosed with moderate dysplasia and HPV in February. I had a colposcopy done in April, the results came back that it was moderate dysplasia and I ended up having to get a LEEP procedure yesterday.
The colposcopy was the worst part. Just really uncomfortable. Nothing you can't handle though! It's an extended PAP basically usually takes about 15 minutes.
Chances of getting cervical cancer and dying from it are extremely low, generally 1%. Usually it's caught before it ever turns into something serious.
The HPV can go away on its on, though there is no cure. Most people's immune system just fights it off. So it'll more then likely go away taking anywhere from a few months to a year.. maybe longer. It all depends on your immune system.
If you smoke, quit. Try to be as healthy as you can! It is transmitted via skin-to-skin contact, so using condoms does not prevent it. Once you have the strain you have it forever and you can't get re-infected with the same strand twice. Since there are over 100 different strands you really need to protect yourself. Also, it usually takes anywhere from 2 months to a year to get the virus. If you do choose to have sex that's up to you. Nothing happens to men when they get it, unless it's the HPV that causes genital warts. There isn't even a test for men.
Don't worry, it's nothing too serious. I like you was very scared, I mean i'm only 19!
I've gone about my life as regularly as I use to. I was with my boyfriend when I got it, and am still with him. My doctor told me I could continue to have sex with him because there is a 99% chance he has it also since we had unprotected sex before I was diagnosed with it.
If you have anymore questions feel free to ask.
Again, don't stress yourself out, everything will be fine!! Good Luck
The colposcopy was the worst part. Just really uncomfortable. Nothing you can't handle though! It's an extended PAP basically usually takes about 15 minutes.
Chances of getting cervical cancer and dying from it are extremely low, generally 1%. Usually it's caught before it ever turns into something serious.
The HPV can go away on its on, though there is no cure. Most people's immune system just fights it off. So it'll more then likely go away taking anywhere from a few months to a year.. maybe longer. It all depends on your immune system.
If you smoke, quit. Try to be as healthy as you can! It is transmitted via skin-to-skin contact, so using condoms does not prevent it. Once you have the strain you have it forever and you can't get re-infected with the same strand twice. Since there are over 100 different strands you really need to protect yourself. Also, it usually takes anywhere from 2 months to a year to get the virus. If you do choose to have sex that's up to you. Nothing happens to men when they get it, unless it's the HPV that causes genital warts. There isn't even a test for men.
Don't worry, it's nothing too serious. I like you was very scared, I mean i'm only 19!
I've gone about my life as regularly as I use to. I was with my boyfriend when I got it, and am still with him. My doctor told me I could continue to have sex with him because there is a 99% chance he has it also since we had unprotected sex before I was diagnosed with it.
If you have anymore questions feel free to ask.
Again, don't stress yourself out, everything will be fine!! Good Luck
Leah007
05-24-2007, 08:38 PM
Hello again. Thank you for your replies and feedback to my recent post. I'm still very concerned about the Dysplasia and probable HPV. However, reading about how others have dealt with similiar experiences does help in acquiring information about this subject matter. I still got over one week before my scheduled colposcopy. Time seems to be going so slow! I'm hoping the Dysplasia is not too severe and can be treated effectively. My main concern about HPV (accorrding to what I've read, 99% chance that I do have it) is spread of infection. Though I'm not currently in a relationship, I certainly wouldn't want to infect a partner in the future. If HPV won't ever clear up, what health measures should one take to help the virus go into a dormant state? Some posts on the board talk about taking multivitamins and folic acid supplements to stay healthy. I make sure to get a pap smear each year. I don't smoke. I'm definately going to get this Dysplasia treated. Anymore feedback to these questions would be helpful. Thanks.
LAgirl81
05-24-2007, 09:20 PM
Hi Leah!
I know exactly what you're going through. I had an ASCUS pap (have been getting them for over 2 years) last month and just last week had my colposcopy. I'm fearful of the biopsy results showing some type of dysplasia! Just to let you know, though, that I wouldn't worry too much about your social life and having HPV. You can always get tested at the doctor's to make sure if and what type of HPV you have-- having high-risk HPV does not adversely affect men in any way, so if you are to date again, then you may expose him to this high-risk strain but he would not exhibit any symptoms.
Also, keep in mind that HPV is the common cold of STDs. Almost *all* sexually active people will have had it in their lives. So it's safe to assume that the men you will be dating more than likely have HPV and there's just no way of them knowing it (unless they have a low-risk strain that is the wart kind). The best thing to do is just continue living your life as normal-- I don't think this virus should have any bearing on your future relationships. If anything, it'll help you weed out the idiots who will stigmatize you for having a virus that the more than likely already have or have had. I think having read as much as I could about HPV and asking my friends and boyfriend who are medical professionals about this has helped me-- mostly everyone will get this virus it's just some of us unlucky few who get the high-risk strain that affects our cervical cells. I hope this bit of persective helps!
As far as health goes, I'd keep taking vitamins and supplements (esp folic acid) and exercise regularly. If you can afford it, maybe go to a nutritionist as I think that would really help as well. Other than that, stay relaxed, surround yourself with supportive loved ones and think positively. Remember that dysplasia can be treated easily and in many cases dysplasia will spontaneously regress without treatment. I hope this helps! Best of luck to you on your colposcopy-- don't think about it too much and do as many fun things as possible to distract yourself! :) Take care!
I know exactly what you're going through. I had an ASCUS pap (have been getting them for over 2 years) last month and just last week had my colposcopy. I'm fearful of the biopsy results showing some type of dysplasia! Just to let you know, though, that I wouldn't worry too much about your social life and having HPV. You can always get tested at the doctor's to make sure if and what type of HPV you have-- having high-risk HPV does not adversely affect men in any way, so if you are to date again, then you may expose him to this high-risk strain but he would not exhibit any symptoms.
Also, keep in mind that HPV is the common cold of STDs. Almost *all* sexually active people will have had it in their lives. So it's safe to assume that the men you will be dating more than likely have HPV and there's just no way of them knowing it (unless they have a low-risk strain that is the wart kind). The best thing to do is just continue living your life as normal-- I don't think this virus should have any bearing on your future relationships. If anything, it'll help you weed out the idiots who will stigmatize you for having a virus that the more than likely already have or have had. I think having read as much as I could about HPV and asking my friends and boyfriend who are medical professionals about this has helped me-- mostly everyone will get this virus it's just some of us unlucky few who get the high-risk strain that affects our cervical cells. I hope this bit of persective helps!
As far as health goes, I'd keep taking vitamins and supplements (esp folic acid) and exercise regularly. If you can afford it, maybe go to a nutritionist as I think that would really help as well. Other than that, stay relaxed, surround yourself with supportive loved ones and think positively. Remember that dysplasia can be treated easily and in many cases dysplasia will spontaneously regress without treatment. I hope this helps! Best of luck to you on your colposcopy-- don't think about it too much and do as many fun things as possible to distract yourself! :) Take care!
FromSqueaky
05-25-2007, 05:02 PM
:( I don't know where this HPV virus started but it's annoying. My friend who was a virgin till she married and was only with the one man her whole life ended up getting HPV from her husband who cheated on her. She has the worst The cancer is now in remission but she can still give it to another. It doesn't have to be active to pass it along. The woman that gave it to her husband, he had been sleeping with for 6 months. That's how fast it can be transmitted to and cause damage.
She is now remarried but never slept with her new husband till 2 weeks after her wedding. She had another surgery the week before her wedding so sex was not an option. Her new husband knows all about her disease, She used condoms for over a year till she was comfortable enough not to. The reason.... because after one man cheated on her and put her through a divorce she knew nothing was 100%. She kept saying what if we get a divorce and you slept with another woman? You will give it to her. She never wants another woman to go through the torture that she has gone through.
There are plenty of women that have HPV it's as common as the cold. It's pretty much unstoppable. Men usually have no symptoms. They are just carriers of it and spread it around. As of now, there is not a medical test available for men to detect the HPV virus. Oral cancer is strongly associated with HPV-16, a strain of the virus that is also associated with cervical cancer in women. So you can have HPV in the throat as well as the cervix. There are more than 70 types that have been studied of genital HPV that can infect the genital area of men, including the skin on and around the penis or anus.
Condoms are not 100% in preventing the spread of it. It just sad.
She is now remarried but never slept with her new husband till 2 weeks after her wedding. She had another surgery the week before her wedding so sex was not an option. Her new husband knows all about her disease, She used condoms for over a year till she was comfortable enough not to. The reason.... because after one man cheated on her and put her through a divorce she knew nothing was 100%. She kept saying what if we get a divorce and you slept with another woman? You will give it to her. She never wants another woman to go through the torture that she has gone through.
There are plenty of women that have HPV it's as common as the cold. It's pretty much unstoppable. Men usually have no symptoms. They are just carriers of it and spread it around. As of now, there is not a medical test available for men to detect the HPV virus. Oral cancer is strongly associated with HPV-16, a strain of the virus that is also associated with cervical cancer in women. So you can have HPV in the throat as well as the cervix. There are more than 70 types that have been studied of genital HPV that can infect the genital area of men, including the skin on and around the penis or anus.
Condoms are not 100% in preventing the spread of it. It just sad.