Abnormal pap.... - Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Message Board

krbmc · 08-24-2007, 04:18 PM

I am not sure where to post this but here goes...

I had my last pap smear in April 2006. When I called they told me the results were fine. Well I have been a slacker and had forgotten to schedule my yearly appt. I got a letter about a month or 2 ago saying I need to reschedule. I got a certified letter yesterday saying I needed to retest for my abnormal pap changes. Well this confused me so I called and talked to a nurse at the Dr. Office. She said that last year I had an abnormal result that showed "irritation". She said they automatically do a HPV test and it came back negative, so they didn't want to see me for a retest then. They said they did want to make sure to see me at my yearly though that's why they were letting me know I was past my year exam. She told me it was nothing to worry about. I have always heard when you get an abnormal you go back in in a couple months or so for a recheck, not a year. Of course I am a worry wart by nature anyway. I just wanted to get thoughts from you all? Is it weird to wait a year for a recheck? Thoughts on this?? Thanks!

I do want to add that I always have my yearly exams and until this last one they were all normal.

keva23 · 08-25-2007, 08:02 PM

I have also been down that same road, so I know how you feel. And yes it is a bit strange if the nurse told you to come back in a year if your pap revealed abnormal. However, if your hpv test came back positive and it revealed abnormal cells, The doctor will perform a colpospy and a biopsy and tell you to come back in 6 months to perform the same procedures again to see if the cells have returned back to normal. But you really don't have nothing to worry about since your test came back negative. But be sure to ask the nurse plenty questions about your results and hpv itself. If she's not helpful, find another doctor.