There are a few different reasons that a pap can come out abnormal. Usually an abnormal pap smear means you have dysplasia - which is abnormal cell changes/pre-cancerous changes on your cervix. This is caused by HPV which is the same disease that causes warts but their are many different types of it. You can have the strand that causes cell changes but not the type that causes warts. That sounds probable since both you, and your bf's previous partner both have abnormal paps. It's very common, and it's believed that 80% of sexually active people carry hpv, but a lot never know it because it never shows changes.
Doctors usually aren't too worried about it because it is easily treated when caught early. Usually they set up a colposcopy (biopsy of cervix) to confirm a diagnosis/confirm the pap smear results.
Is your doctor having you come in for a biopsy or to discuss the results more?
Also, you should check out the Cancer: Breast, Cervical, and Ovarian board. There are a lot of awesome people with tons of info on the subject there.
p.s. - don't flip out about the "pre-cancer" - when treated and monitored it usually never progresses that far. I know when I found out I had it, that's all I could focus on, and it made the situation even more horrible.
Good Luck
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