It’s Never Too Late to See Your OB/GYN About Getting Your Annual Pap-Smear
Oct 22, 2018
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A Pap smear can be an uncomfortable pre-screening exam that comes as a part of an annual gynecology checkup. Considering how uncomfortable it can be, one of the last things you want to be caught off guard with is being notified that you experienced Abnormal Pap Smear Symptoms. During the exam, your doctor first inserts a speculum to hold the vagina open and uses a swab to collect cells. These cells are harvested in and around the cervical region, where the uterus opens into the vaginal canal. The cells that are obtained are sent to a laboratory where they are examined for abnormal cells that might signal cancerous growth. This is not an official exam but rather a screening to see if there is anything that potentially needs to be looked into further.
The best way to know what abnormal Pap smear symptoms look like is to understand what normal cells resemble. A normal pap smear result means that you have a healthy cervix and you will likely leave the appointment with your provider telling you when you should schedule your next one. An unsatisfactory reading means that the sample of cells collected could not be read for some reason by the lab technician and you will have to repeat the Pap smear.
Benign changes are readings that mean that your results are standard for the most part however you may or may not have a cervical infection. There was likely inflammation found on your cervical cells so a pelvic exam may be done to investigate further. Finally, an ASCUS reading stands for Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance means that there are abnormally shaped cells that could indicate HPV. This is a crucial screening to have done, so don’t wait to book yours.
If you receive abnormal pap smear results, there is no reason to panic as it this does not indicate that you have cervical cancer. This only means that there are unusual cells that should be tested further for cancer. In most cases, the abnormal test result means there have been cell changes caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). It is also common that the Abnormal Pap Smear Symptoms are due to a vaginal or cervical infection that has caused the changing of your cervical cells. In this case, the changing of the cells is curable. The way to cure the cells though is to know your status, which is why you should not wait to have a pap smear exam.
No one can care for you the way that you can. Do not keep putting your health and well-being on the back burner by saying you will wait until later to get a pap smear done. It could be a matter of health or sickness that is preventable if you take the right steps towards prevention. At the Trusted Women’s Health Center, we work with the utmost care and attention and strive to provide high quality and compassionate women’s health care services. We are passionate about serving women regardless of age and serve the regions in Kendall, Coral Gables, Miami and all over the world.