My GYN wants me to come back for another pap in 6months.  They said I tested negative for HPV, but they didn't
967450
They probably want to make sure HPV is sly and it can really mess you up the bad thing is guys can have it and never know it so they can unintentionally spread it yet most are too embarrased to get themselves checked.\n\nGuys if you're diggin' in her trench keep your shovel clean. get yo' self checked and get over your ego.\n\nI did while i was single three times a year until i was married and it doesn't matter if the girl you'e sleeping with is Ms. Pristine Princess who never would do anything nasty and definately isn't a skank.....get your bait and tackle serviced
401849
Make sure you get regular pap tests. Your doctor might want to check to make sure you don't have any STD'S or a  Urinary Tract infection.
975395
No relax.  Celluar changes happen as a result of the human papilloma virus (HPV)  the same family of viruses that cause common warts, like on your hand.  Certain strains of HPV can cause cervical cancer - this is why you get PAP smears.  Others can cause minor celluar changes, still others cause no apparent symptoms at all.  Regardless even in the worst case it is easy to address this problem by getting a colposcopy (a small section of cells is taken from your cervix curing the problem) as long as you follow up as your doctor is directing you.\n\nYour ovary may be ovulating or it may be something entirely unrelated to your reproductive parts.  Nonetheless your physician will probably want to get a follow up PAP in a few months.  If that is normal you are good to go until next year.
415665
A pap smear CAN determine if you have HPV. Some strains of HPV are cancer causing, but certainly not all of them. Either way your pap smear will determine if you have the disease. If you want to test for clymidia and gonnorhea then request that test when you go to get your pap smear. All that involvese is getting a sample from your vagina with a cotton swab. A blood test is required for syphillis and HIV, normally you have to go to another lab to get blood drawn. There is no test for herpes, if you get an outbreak then you know you have them. If you don't have insurance then you can get tested at Planned Parenthood or, if you are a college student, at your college's medical center. Doctors recommended getting tested at least once a year, possibly more depending on the number of partners you have. :)
515693
I have HPV and I have had cervical cancer. They say that HPV can cause cervical cancer (but so do other things - like extended use of birth control pills). HPV is NOT curable. It is a virus and will stay with you the rest of your life. People usually go through life not realizing that they have it because there really are no symptoms. 75% - 80% of the WORLD has HPV. That's why it is spread so easily from person to person. As for cervical cancer...I've be treated for mine, and so far it hasn't come back. Make sure you are getting your annual pap smears done, and if yours comes back abnormal you should be going every 4 months, or more (if your doctor wants). Cervical cancer can be treated, but you need to catch it before it gets really bad. Good luck!
494538
If healthy, an annual or twice yearly physical by your regular doc and gynecologic exam including a pap smear by your OBGYN should be performed.\n\nIf you have conditions that need monitoring or have warranted suspicion (i.e., high blood pressure, gynecologic conditions or disorders), obviously you will need to go more often.  But for a well-woman checkup, once or twice a year should be sufficient.\n\nBetween the physical and the gyn exams, you should be covered for all the important tests.
380625
Start when your period does. It's very important that you get a Pap once a year. It test for abnormalities. I hated going to the Gynecologist. I never went for my check ups. I ended up having to go because I got pregnant and found out I had Cervical Cancer. If I had not of gotten pregnant I would have been dead 2 years form now. I'm just trying to say be sure you go to a Gynecologist at least once a year. It could save your life.
528405
It is very important for a woman to have a yearly physical exam beginning when they turn 18.  I was scared my first time when I went at 18.  I am now 47.  It is not my favorite thing to go in for my yearly physical, but I do it anyway.  It is important to find a doctor you are comfortable with since they will be checking you in your most private areas.  I have a wonderful woman doctor who is so kind and gentle.  She explains everything she is doing and let's me know ahead of time what she is going to do and what I will feel.  She also sits and talks with me first before the exam.  Early detection of any disease has a greater chance of being successfully treated.  A yearly physical with a gynecologist or a family practitioner (that's who I go to) helps detect or prevent possible problems.  Call today and make the appointment.  It'll be OK and you'll be glad you did.  Tell the nurse and the doctor that it is your first yearly exam and I am sure they will be glad to help you through it.  If not, go to a different doctor.
197502
After a miscarriage you normally have a D & C performed. The lining that is cleaned out from the uterous is normally sent to pathology, which means you wouldn't need a pap smear for 12 months. I'm very sorry for your loss.
740153
Pap smear: Screening test for cervical cancer\nUnderstand the importance of the Pap smear, including how it's done, what it means when it's abnormal and why it needs to be part of your regular health checkups.\n\nA Pap smear, also called a Pap test, is a simple procedure that collects cells from your cervix — the lower, narrow end of your uterus. Named after its developer, George Papanicolaou, M.D., the test effectively detects not only cervical cancer, but also changes in your cervical cells that suggest cancer may develop in the future. Detecting these cells early is your first step in halting the possible development of cervical cancer.\n\nSince women started having Pap smears more than 50 years ago, the number of deaths from cervical cancer has dropped dramatically. What was once the leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States now ranks as No. 15. According to the American Cancer Society, about 3,700 women die each year of cervical cancer — a figure that could drop even further if more women had the Pap smear on a regular basis.\n\nIf you get regular Pap smears, you substantially decrease your chances of getting cervical cancer. But even if you develop cervical cancer, the chances of a cure are as high as 90 percent — if discovered early. The Pap smear is the best tool to detect cervical cancer in its earliest stage.\nWho should have a Pap smear?\n\nThe American Cancer Society recommends that you have your first Pap smear about three years after first having sexual relations or at age 21. After age 21, the guidelines are as follows:\nAge Frequency\n21 to 29 Once a year using the regular Pap smear or every two years using the liquid-based Pap test.\n30 to 69 Every two to three years if you've had three normal Pap smears in a row.\n70 and older You may stop having Pap smears if you've had normal results three tests in a row and you've had normal Pap smears over the past 10 years.\n\nRegardless of your age, if you have certain risk factors you'll need to be screened annually. These risk factors include:\n\n    * A history of sexual activity as a teenager, especially if you had more than one sex partner\n    * Multiple sex partners now\n    * A partner who began sexual activity at an early age or who had many previous sexual partners\n    * A history of a sexually transmitted disease\n    * A family history of cervical cancer\n    * A diagnosis of cervical cancer or a Pap smear that showed precancerous cells\n    * Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV)\n    * Tobacco use\n    * Exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) before birth\n    * HIV infection\n    * Weakened immune system due to such factors as an organ transplant, chemotherapy or chronic corticosteroid use\n\nIf you've had a total hysterectomy — surgical removal of the uterus including the cervix — ask your doctor if you need to continue having Pap smears. If your hysterectomy was performed for a noncancerous condition, such as fibroids, you may be able to discontinue routine Pap smears. If your hysterectomy was for a precancerous or cancerous condition, your vaginal canal still should be checked for abnormal changes.\nPreparing for a Pap smear\n\nTo ensure that your Pap smear is most effective, follow these tips prior to your test:\n\n    * Avoid intercourse, douching or using any vaginal medicines or spermicidal foams, creams or jellies for two days before having a Pap smear, as these may wash away or obscure abnormal cells.\n    * Try not to schedule a Pap smear during your menstrual period. Although the test can be done, it's best to avoid this particular time of your cycle.\n\nHow is a Pap smear done?\nA Pap smear is performed in your doctor's office and takes only a few minutes. First you lie down on an exam table with your knees bent. Your heels rest in supports called stirrups. Your doctor will gently insert an instrument called a speculum into your vagina. Then he or she will take a sample of you
917129
There is a test now for HPV.  Schedule an appointment with your gynocologist and have it done.  That's the only way you'll ever really know.  Women cannot tell if they have with out the test by the way.
840294
People with high risk HPV should go for a pap smear once every 6 months.  HPV positive and high risk means that you are at high risk for cancer and that´s why you need to get checked so often.
1095728
I had ovarian cancer at the age of 20.  There were not symptoms.  The pap smear came back negative because it only checks the uterus.  I only found out because as cash register drawer opened into my stomach and ruptured the tumor.  I went to the Dr on MOnday and they removed everything on Tuesday morning.  There is a blood test called CA-125 that checks for ovarian cancer.
910800
Well if you are schedule for a pap smear they will have to look at it.  Remember doctor's see these things all the time.  You might be more comfortable with a female doctor in future.
567271
First of all, it's very common for young women to have a mildly abnormal Pap smear.  It just means that some of the cells they sampled aren't normal and they want to check again sooner than they would otherwise (usually a year.)\n\nMild cases of dysplasia very often clear up on their own.  It is usually caused by exposure to the human papilloma virus, which is also very common.  If your immune system can clear it up on its own, then your next Pap will likely be normal.  If not, your doctor will advise you of the next step.  If it's the same, the next step will probably be more "wait and see" or might include a colposcopy (kind of like a Pap, but they use a scope to actually look at your cervix and they swab some solutions onto it to see how the cells react.)  If it's advanced to a higher level of abnormality, then they may want to intervene; there are a couple of ways for doctors to excise a portion of the cervix, removing the abnormal part.  If it gets to that, make sure you ask your doc lots of questions about the procedure and any side effects.\n\nI had a series of mildly abnormal Paps (CIN 1, see answer above) about 5 or 6 years ago.  Mine cleared up on its own without any medical intervention and my Paps have been clear ever since.
869042
There are only a couple strains of HPV that cause warts - there are another couple that cause cervical cancer - hence the recomendation for a yearly PAP test. There are about 15 more strains that do not progress to cancer but do show as an unusual PAP result. It gets spread by the men - who have no idea they have it. It is a virus on the skin so condoms don't protect. So us women go around thinking this is some gross thing that only we have. Just as many men do - figuring about 85% of the population - they just don't get symptoms. So just who do you think you will be protecting by telling your partner you have HPV. He probably does too - but has no way of knowing. So get over the guilt. Unless this is a cancer causing strain - and only a small percentage of those ever turn to cancer - there is no need to tell, because there is no way to work around it, except to support your own health with good nutrition, rest and stress reduction. It isn't like herpes where you avoid contact during flare ups. HPV is there all the time but will cause changes in the cells when your own immunity is down.   As for the skin changes - that is a totally unrelated. Good luck kid - and keep researching beyond the limited feedback your doctor has given you.
262784
Genital warts are a virus, called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). There are over 230 different virus types that are considered HPV. \n\nYou need to see your doctor or gynecologist and have the test for HPV. Once a positive result is achieved, there are several ways to get rid of the warts. Keep in mind that the VIRUS itself never goes away, even if all of the warts are removed. An outbreak can happen at any time. Be sure and tell any sexual partners you may have in the future that you have warts, because they are contageous (obviously).\n\nUse of condoms during sex will prevent the spread of HPV. \n\nTypically, if the outbreak is small, the biopsy of the wart can remove it. If not, there is laser treatment. If that doesn't work, then your doctor can freeze them off.\n\nInbetween your test for HPV, biopsy, and a single given treatment, you will need to have a pap smear to determine the results. \n\nAfter you are wart-free for a full six months, your ob/gyn will go back to recommending a pap smear annually. \n\nGo to www.webmd.com for more information on what HPV is, how to test for it, and treatment options. Please visit your doctor, soon, though, because *some* of the HPV viruses (about 20, in fact) may lead to cervical cancer over time.