Abnormal Pap

kaitlyn592 · October 2015

I just got a call from my OB office that I had "low grade cells" on my recent pap test. They told me it could be something as simple as inflammation, but that it was worth checking into. So now I have a colposcopy scheduled for next month. I was just wondering if anyone else has experience with this or just the colposcopy itself. This was my first pap test and now to have abnormal results, I'm a little freaked out.

heathergirl89 · October 2015

I had never had an abnormal pap until I got pregnant with my son (not saying that caused it), but at my first prenatal it was abnormal. Next appointment, I had to have a colposcopy. They take a little scraping and add it to some vinegar if I remember correctly. It didn't hurt at all, but I also think pap smears and membrane stripping is totally painless. So my results came back that I had what could be early cancerous cells. Being pregnant, she didn't want to biopsy. I was told that after giving birth (if I did it naturally as planned) the cells could slough off and everything be fine. That's exactly what happened. Every pap since has been normal.

mechekitty · October 2015

I had an abnormal pap from my last visit to the OB (September 11). The message I got said they found "atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance," also just known as ASCUS. I researched it and found it was very common, especially among pregnant women. They said I would just have another pap in 1 year to see if the result changed.

I was also concerned and found the nearest computer to look up anything I could about it. To hear that it was normal and nothing to be concerned about was definitely reassuring.

I hope your next appointment goes well! I would relax and just trust that the doctor's recommendation is best for you and your baby's health.

tresams10 · October 2015

Why are they doing it while you are pregnant. I would ask them to wait many time it clears up on its own if they think it HPV. I would seek a second opi5about your options. I will hurt, and I was told it could have just been monitored.

tresams10 · October 2015

It will hurt

kaitlyn592 · October 2015

From what they told me, they're just using the scope to look at the cells, not doing a biopsy. They didn't tell me much but like I said before, they acted like it could be a simple cause, but they still want to check it out.

Thank you for sharing your experiences...that does give me some hope that it will turn out to be nothing serious. I just wish this pregnancy could go smoothly...

caitlynn29 · October 2015

I recently had a very similar experience. In my initial OB visit she did a pap which came back with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. At first I was in a panic because when I googled it all I kept seeing was Cancer and about had a melt down. I wasn't scheduled for my next appointment for another month so called my OB right away hoping I could get in sooner to discuss this as this was my first ever abonormal pap not to mention I am growing a person so the last thing I want to think about is also having cancer.

As it turns out, I saw her yesterday and she was very reassuring that since it was low grade that it was likely caused by the HPV virus which turns out is pretty common and that it usually takes care of itself within a year. She didn't want to do any tests but recommended that we wait until baby is born and then in my post delivery appointment we test again and go from there. I would definitely take your doctors advice and if they want to do the further testing I would let them but for the most part it seems like this isn't uncommon at all. Glad to see I am not in this alone though...

St0v3s · October 2015

I have had an abnormal pap before not while pregnant though. They took a sample told me it wasn't cancerous and to make sure I get an example every year.

pinottoparenthood · October 2015

I had an abnormal pap once. Nothing ever happened.... the next time I got one,it was fine.

yodiggity · October 2015

If you have sex with in 24-48 hours before a pap it will almost always come back abnormal. Learned that the hard way once.

kaitlyn592 · October 2015

@yodiggity I am fairly (not totally 100% since this was over a month ago) certain that I didn't have sex for 48 hours, just because I read about that resulting in sperm being on the pap slide. But that's good to know, I will keep that in mind for the future!

g&tlewis · October 2015

I have had abnormal paps and a colpo before (pre-pregnancy). They said it could have been HPV, but the colpo came back normal and I've had normal paps ever since. I have a B12 deficiency and read that it can cause abnormal results. Try not to worry too much. The colpo itself was about the same as a normal pap, but I did have some pretty heavy cramping afterwards.

asetch · October 2015

I had an abnormal pap prior to pregnancy, they did a colpo and like

g&tlewis said it is very similar to a normal pap smear with some additional cramping and some light bleeding after (only for a few hours after). My colpo came back positive for HPV so they did a leap, which is where they numb your cervix and remove a layer of tissue to kill off the HPV cells before spreading. The leap procedure was more intense and I don't know if that is something they would do if you are pregnant. But after they removed the HPV cells all went back to normal and I haven't had an abnormal pap since (almost 8 years ago).

I know it is scary, but call your doc and ask any questions that you have that's what they are there for!! Good luck hun! FX

mojomama6 · October 2015

Why is anyone even getting a PAP while pregnant? I've seen three different obstetricians and three midwives in my life, and every single one of them say that "abnormal" results are so common in pregnancy tht they ARE the norm, and they just don't do them.
That said, I've had a non-pregnant abnormal PAP, which turned out to be HPV, which cleared without treatment. Most abnormal results are benign. Yours probably are, too.

K&Elizabeth · October 2015

@mojomama6 my midwife/OB office will suggest a pap only if you're due for one.

kaitlyn592 · October 2015

@mojomama6 that's a standard exam done at my OB. Even when you look up what to expect at your first prenatal visit on Google or in books, even on the Bump, they all say a pap is pretty much standard. But I hope that is the case and it's just pregnancy causing these results.

caseyanna85 · October 2015

I had abnormal pap results after my first prenatal appointment as well. My second appointment, last month, my OB did a colposcopy. It wasn't much different than a regular pap. He looked at my cervix through a microscope and used a long "qtip" to rub on a alcohol solution. This solution helps "highlight" any abnormalities. He did find one tiny spot, but said it was too small to biopsy. He also said that if I wasn't pregnant, the spot would likely clear up itself. But since pregnancy causes so many changes to the body, he will simply recheck it after delivery.

AmadorRose · October 2015

mojomama6 said:
Why is anyone even getting a PAP while pregnant? I've seen three different obstetricians and three midwives in my life, and every single one of them say that "abnormal" results are so common in pregnancy tht they ARE the norm, and they just don't do them.
That said, I've had a non-pregnant abnormal PAP, which turned out to be HPV, which cleared without treatment. Most abnormal results are benign. Yours probably are, too.

I was supposed to have one at my first visit but didn't since I'd had a normal pap within the last three years and hadn't had any new partners since. I guess the beauty of Tricare is having EVERYTHING saved into one system, so my midwife could see the results. I think they mostly check for STD, because the majority of women never show symptoms for chlamydia and gonnorhea. The quicker they can catch and treat it, the better off LO is.

tripledaggerWed95976 · October 2015

I've had an abnormal pap, it turned out it was just from HPV though. I know it's scary but more often than not it turns out to be nothing or something very minor

eastdurian · October 2015

kyleec89 said:

@mojomama6 my midwife/OB office will suggest a pap only if you're due for one.

That's how mine was, I'll have one after LO is born because I just wasn't due for one yet (they say every 3 years) they did order blood work for STDs even though I'd only been with DH.

kaitlyn592 · November 2015

Hello all!!

I'm updating this topic just in case anyone wants to know the outcome or searches for this subject.

I just got done with my colposcopy at my OB office...it was very similar to a pap smear.

They simply use the same speculum to spread the walls of your vagina, then they use what looks very similar to a microscope to peer in--the colposcope itself never touches you or goes inside of you. It took longer than a pap smear; I'd say about 10 minutes total as they swab your cervix with a vinegar solution and a dye, both of which will discolor abnormal cells. That was the worst part because it is a strange sensation but did not hurt at all. The exam over-all was not a big deal!

As far as my results, my midwife continually told me that she is very happy with the way things look. No abnormal areas lit up from the different solutions. She admitted that pregnancy alone can sometimes cause a "false positive" but otherwise this would be caused by the HPV virus. She wasn't concerned at all and I will have a repeat pap smear one year from my last which was in September, so that will be well after I deliver in 2016. She also said that there is a good chance that everything will clear itself up with delivery.

One other thing that I wanted to clarify: this was an "observational" colposcopy. Both the nurse and midwife told me before it even began that they would NOT be taking any biopsies. That was very important to me because of the potential risks that a biopsy could have. I have read that some situations may require a biopsy even while pregnant, but I may have refused that if it came down to it.

The bottom line is just about all of the PPs are right...these things usually turn out to be nothing serious and can clear up on their own!

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