LGSIL pap with +HPV
 

so i have been off and on crying since Friday. i got a call from the gyno that my pap came back as abnormal with a LGSIL reading and i was positive for HPV. went to the doc yesterday and now they are saying they want to do a colposcopy and possible biopsy but ive read that that isnt usually done on women under 30. (im 26) can anyone ease my mind or give some personal exp? it would be much appreciated!

I have not dealt with Nov person ally but my friend has it and they did a biopsy and a LEAP. Procedure when she was early 20s. I would get it done to ensure it doesn't turn into cervical cancer. I wish you luck!

I had that happen when I was a senior in school. The doctor explained to me that you could get HPV from anywhere, even from walking barefoot at the pool. They did the biopsy on me...wasn't completely painfree but didn't take long. They put some kind black stuff up there that shedded out later. Said it was a mild case and that I didn't have anything to worry about. So, I went on with life. When I got pregnant with my first son, everything was cleared up. No sign of it. My pap smears afterwards have been normal.

My mom unknowingly had HPV, didn't find out til she ended up with cervical cancer.

I can not stress enough..........ladies get your paps done EVERY year!!!!

My mom hadn't had a pap done in several years. She had never heard of HPV and was with one partner since her last exam, she thought she was safe.

i have had multiple colposcopies done, and i'm not 30 yet. they are uncomfortable as all **** (probably because i have a tilted uterus), but they aren't the end of the world. they keep close tabs on me because cervical/uterine/ovarian cancers run strongly in my mom's family (everyone had an ovario-hysterectomy before they were 40 because of it, grandmother died from it) so any little irregularity they find on my pap they say COME GET THIS DONE. my best advice is to take some ibuprofen before you go to the doctor. you will feel mild cramping as they take the little bit of tissue from inside your uterus. it feels like period cramps. also, take your cell phone or something, i played bejeweled through my last one.

it looks scary, because they aim a big ol microscope thing at your lady parts, but it really is mostly like an extended PAP test. they put a couple different things in there, which they brush on your cervix to see if there are irregular patterns and where to get the biopsy from. try not to look at the instruments, they freaked me out, just because of the length of them.

HPV will usually clear itself up, i've tested positive for it before too, then went 6 months later for a recheck and it was gone.

despite what the makers of Gardasil would have you believe, HPV is *not* a big, evil scary monster.

the *vast* majority of humans catch one form or another at least once in their lives. while it's touted as "the most common sexually transmitted disease", it's not ONLY an STD - you can pick it up a number of ways, which is how even virgins can get it.

of the more than 100 strains of HPV, only 4 of them are known to cause cancer. the vast majority of ppl with HPV catch and clear without ever knowing they've had it.

of the many, *many*, MANY abnormal pap tests found in a year, the vast majority are benign and self-correcting. an abnormal pap test does not mean you have cancer - it takes years for abnormal cervical cells to actually become cancerous, which is why it's important to do the pap test. early detection prevents cervical cancer from progressing to any degree of risk - death from cervical cancer is, in the majority of cases, bec it was far advanced by the time it was detected.

so really, i wouldn't worry. if you find that you are in the small minority with a concerning test result, take comfort in the fact that you caught it now. my grandmother died of ovarian cancer because she was too embarrassed to ever let the dr "down there" and was too "lady-like" to mention to anybody that she'd not had a bowel movement in over a week before she collapsed on the sidewalk.

I had a colposcopy at the age of 16 after an abnormal pap and pelvic ultrasound. They suspected I had HPV, which I thought at the time was an STD. I knew that was impossible as my BF had only been with me and vice versa.

Colposcopies are uncomfortable but I didn't find it terrible. The worst thing about mine was having a doctor, a nurse and about four or five residents in the room because it's not an every day procedure.

Just to let you know, I've gone on to have two kids and like another PP, normal paps since. :hug: I'm sure it'll be ok.

Holy crap, I'm going to the doctor for the EXACT SAME THING on Thursday. Last Wednesday, I got the EXACT same phone call, and naturally I was (and still kind of am) scared to death. My main concern is dealing with future partners and knowing all the nuts and bolts of how the disease is transmitted and what I can and can't do whilst having the virus. I guess I'll find out on Thursday. And by the way, I'm 22.

But isn't it great to know that you're not alone?

They make a vaccine for HPV to prevent it.

NEVER EVER EVER get the vaccine!!!!!!!!


it's completely unnecessary and, unlike HPV, it tends to kill ppl or leave them permanently damaged: http://truthaboutgardasil.org/
all that pain and suffering to prevent a cancer that is LEAST on the list of cancers to be worried about!

my daughter's school has it on record already that if she gets jabbed with it at the age of 9 like they want to do here, i will sue them into oblivion plus i will have them charged with assault, administering a noxious substance, child endangerment, and anything else i can think of and THEN i'm going after them on violation of her rights as a citizen.

XKMuffnTop - just having only the one partner is no protection at all against STD. one of you could've caught it in a non-sexual manner and then transmitted it sexually.

mimsyborograves (CS Lewis fan, i see!) - the best way to protect against STD is using the basketball method.

get a basketball.
clamp firmly between your thighs.
leave it there.

failing that, use condoms.

This is so normal you have no idea. I have the exact same thing, I've have the same strand for YEARS now. (I stopped getting checked out after I moved back home, then a two years later after seeing a 24 year old have cervical cancer on the Dr's I got freaked out and went to get checked again.) I as well have to go to colposcopy my Doctor will tell me this tomorrow when I go but I already knew I was going to go. 80% of woman have HPV it's really not uncommon as you may think. Pretty much ALL my girlfriends have it, I have it, my girlfriends girlfriends have it. I wouldn't worry too much. I'd start worrying if your testing turns for the worst (meaning cervical cancer) but I doubt it will. They will just test you to make sure it doesn't get to that point. Like I said I've had this for years and it's never progressed always been the same strained. I now just have to go get a colposcopy (I guess every 6 months, I'll know tomorrow) to make sure I'm good. So don't worry you are NOT alone in this.

It really is common! My mom and my best friend's mom have both had it for years, and they're doing fine. :)

This. I had two colposcopies and had 6 month follow up paps after in which no abnormalities were shown.

Don't worry!! The procedure is mildly uncomfortable and in most cases the HPV will clear up on its own.

Another Don't worry from me too.

I had abnormal paps for about 4 years and a colposcopy prior to boot camp back in 1996 (I was 20). I've had normal paps ever since. Not to mention I have an 11 year old boy to show that all is well with my reproductive system.

ok so after doing a bit more research...... DEFINITELY NOT getting the vaccine! i am 26 so i think im a bit out of the age bracket anyway. my hubby and i have been together for nearly 5 yrs and we have been monogamous the entire time. i know that it can lay dormant for a while and show up later but the good thing is that we wont be reinfected again because we will both clear it up. my question is, why do we have to get the colposcopy if we are under 30 and it goes away on its on anyways? doesnt that make it over kill? also, i read that some birth controls can INCREASE the risk of cervical cancer! WHAT?!?!?! i took yaz last and i will never do it again! my doctor didnt tell me all the crap that was being said about it. i DID expirience some irregular heart beats with it but thank GOD no blood clots. also, the new birth control i am supposed to be started when my period arrives has a warning IN THE DANG INSTRUCTIONS!!!!, that it can increase the risk of cervical cancer! are they TRYING to make us sick?!?! its terrible....... thank you ladies for sharing your stories and words of encouragement! it is greatly appreciated! :)

for me, the colposcopy was not related to the HPV, it was related to abnormal cells found in the pap smear itself. the abnormal cells have the potential to become pre-cancer cells and the biopsy is to determine the risk of that possibility. the abnormal cells can be caused by the HPV, or without it. the second round of colposcopies and rechecks i had were simply because of an abnormal pap, no HPV.

threenorns - Close! I'm a Lewis Carroll fan. CS Lewis is responsible for Narnia; Lewis Carroll is responsible for Wonderland. Good observation, nonetheless.

And I was on Yaz the year before last, as well... could that have caused my abnormal pap this year?

Exactly, just because you are UNDER 30 doesn't mean you CAN'T cancer. A pap test looks at the surf of things, and colpscopy looks deeper into the situation to make sure there isn't anything extermely wrong that the pap test missed. Cancer doesn't discriminate against age...Also birth control COULD cause cervical cancer birth control COULD also cause lots of problems, but that's a given fact if you do the research. Thats a given fact with ANYthing you put in your body any type of medication. There COULD be side affects, some minor some dangerous. I don't take birth control anymore given the research I've done on it, it's not worth it and I haven't gotten knocked up ever or accidently so I'm really not worried. lol

I had to have cryosurgery (freezing off abnormal cells) after having an abnormal pap and biopsy.That was 18 years ago when I was 21...and every pap since then has been fine.

Also,if I had a daughter(though they are considering it for boys too),I would never allow my child to get the vaccine for HPV.I think they need to do a lot more testing and making sure it is as safe as can be.Also,I think it may give people a false sense of comfort in that they don't have to then worry about hpv and cancer.

LOL - i do that a lot. i'm famous for saying things like "oh - yeah, that's right! she moved to Kingston! ... or Kitchener. one of those K places, anyway" (Kingston and Kitchener being, like, opposite sides of Ontario)

that's what's happening - ppl are getting the vaccine and figuring they're bullet-proof so they don't get their pap tests done because they're "immune" from cervical cancer.

I had it done in my early 20's. I was totally fine. I did have to have some cells removed afterward with the cryotherapy but that's it.

Women under age 30 should never be tested for HPV.

That being said, colposcopy is standard for LGSIL. Listen to the women here who've had it done -- it's not fun, but you'll survive, I promise. :) Think of HPV as the "common cold" of the cervix. Lots of people have it, and most women under 30 will clear it on their own.

.... thank you for the new mental image of blowing my nose.

Well I always learned in school that the cervix has the same consistency as the tip of your nose... :D

oh i am VERY well aware that cancer can happen before 30 but i remember reading an article about how some researchers think that the HPV test shouldnt be done before 30 because it is so common. my result was LGSIL and i talked to my gyno and i am going for the colposcopy just dont know when yet. they are still trying to get insurance to verify the procedure. i do believe the vaccine is about useless because everytime you get a new partner you would have to get it again (or at least thats how i understand it) as well as seeing how bad the side effects can be! also my husband and i have decided not to go on birth control again.

Every major clinical guideline recommends against HPV testing in women under 30. Again, common cold of the cervix, too many positives that will clear on their own. But with the LGSIL, you need the colpo anyway. Insurance should cover it no problem, but let your doc's office work that out -- they're better at it and less work/stress for you! Hopefully a one time deal to get rid of the bad cells and leave you with a nice, healthy cervix.

And no, you only need the HPV series once. I don't trust anecdotal Internet reports, but I respect anyone who does her own research and the decisions she makes.

Just as an FYI. I'm 47. I've been with one partner for the last 27 years. My HPV decided to morph into pre-cancer a few years ago. It can lie dormant for DECADES. Yes, it's a common virus. Please don't believe you can pick it up walking by the pool or that HPV doesn't cause cancer. Make your own choices, but please please please get your information from REAL medical sources.

Just wanted to update everyone. My colposcopy is scheduled for the 16th of May