The idea of even possibly seeing an abnormal pap smear result can be enough to keep some women from getting regular testing done. Here’s what Eagle’s Landing OB/GYN wants you to know about pap smears and abnormal test results.
What Is a Pap Smear?
The pap smear is a common and simple test that allows your doctor to check for abnormal cellular changes in your cervix. The cervix is at the top of the vagina, at the lowest spot on the uterus. Your doctor needs to use a speculum and a long swab in order to gather cells from your cervix to send off to a lab for testing.
Getting Results from Your Pap Smear
It usually takes a week or two to receive the results from your pap smear. There are a few different types of results you might see. A “normal” or negative pap smear result means that during your test, no abnormal cells were detected in the sample sent to the lab. You might also get test results that are inconclusive. That means that the cells aren’t necessarily abnormal, but they weren’t completely normal either and the lab can’t classify your results in either category. An abnormal result means that the cervical cells don’t look the way that they do in a normal result.
Taking Action After Abnormal Results
So, what does an abnormal result mean for you? In most cases, it means that your doctor is going to want additional samples and lab results in order to determine what’s going on. That could involve another pap smear or a procedure called a colposcopy. This is when your doctor examines your cervix using a small microscope. You might even have a biopsy taken if your doctor wants more detailed information.
What Does This Mean Going Forward?
If you have another set of abnormal test results, your doctor will advise what happens from there. In the case of a normal result from further testing, your doctor may want to keep a closer eye on the situation for you. That could mean getting pap smears every six months instead of annually. If the results are normal after your abnormal results, your doctor may recommend going back to annual pap smears.
If you’ve been afraid to get pap smears because you’re scared of what the results might be, we’re happy to help ease your fears. Give us a call at Eagle’s Landing OB/GYN in Stockbridge, GA. We’ll talk you through every step of the process and help to make your health a priority.
