genital warts + pap

[firebaptism.livejournal.com]

If my boyfriend has genital warts and passed it onto me, could that make the results from a pap smear abnormal? I got a call from my doc today telling me I need to see the gyno about an abnormal pap and I'm really anxious about what they might tell me. I'm an otherwise healthy 21 year old and my boyfriend is the only sexual partner i've ever had. What are other things that could make a pap abnormal?


TIA <3

Comments

[danceuponstars.livejournal.com]

Yes, they can make it abnormal. This site has good info

http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/papsmears/a/papsmrresultpt3.htm

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

Actually, no, the strains of HPV that cause warts do not cause abnormal pap tests.

[eunicemcgee.livejournal.com]

Is this always the case? What if you develop warts on your cervix? I had a couple abnormal paps, and eventually an HPV DNA test; I never found out specifically what strain it was, but the doctor said 'low-risk' which I took to mean sub-clinical warts. It's a little bit off topic to the OP, but I'm curious to find out more :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/___evagination/]

They can be one and the same. But just because you get warts doesn't mean you'll get cervical cancer. KWIM? They don't have to go together, but they can.

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

No, genital warts and cervical cancer are caused by two totally different strains of HPV. Someone could easily be exposed to both types, but the strains of HPV that cause warts are not the same strains that cause cervical cancer.

i>More than thirty to forty types of HPV are typically transmitted through sexual contact and infect the anogenital region. Some sexually transmitted HPV types may cause genital warts. Persistent infection with "high-risk" HPV types—different from the ones that cause warts—may progress to precancerous lesions and invasive cancer.[2] HPV infection is a cause of nearly all cases of cervical cancer;[3] however, most infections with these types do not cause disease[...]About a dozen HPV types (including types 16, 18, 31 and 45) are called "high-risk" types because they can lead to cervical cancer[...] [Genital warts] can be caused by strains 6, 11, 30, 42, 43, 44, 45, 51, 52 and 54 of HPV; types 6 and 11 are responsible for 90% of genital warts cases.

from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_papillomavirus
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genital_wart

[similartoitlike.livejournal.com]

stress could trigger
<3

[gloraelin.livejournal.com]

Actually I'm pretty sure "stress" is not a valid explanation for an abnormal PAP smear.

[betterbebalboa.livejournal.com]

HPV causes both genital warts and cervical cell changes (dysplasia). However, there are two different varieties of HPV strains. Low-risk strands cause warts, while high-risk strands cause potentially precancerous dysplasia. There are some different things that can cause an abnormal pap, but if yours was caused by some degree of dysplasia, it would most likely mean that you have been exposed to both high- and low-risk strains of HPV.

All of this sounds scary, but it's really totally normal. 80% of American adults have HPV at some point in their lifetimes. If you do have precancerous cell changes, they can be treated very effectively to prevent the development of cervical cancer. Moreover, the body generally sheds the virus within 1-2 years, limiting the possibility for future developments.

Six months ago, I had an abnormal pap, and further investigation showed that I had moderate cell changes on my cervix. I had a LEEP procedure to remove these cells, which was entirely effective (i.e., all cells that showed precancerous changes were removed). Now, I just have to continue to monitor things through regular pap smears until my body sheds the virus and can no longer be affected by it.

The point is, an abnormal pap smear is NOT a worst-case scenario; it's one of a series of steps that make up some of the best cancer-prevention treatment around. It basically allows you to take care of your body and prevent anything bad from happening. And your abnormal pap may not have even been caused by dysplasia.

If you have any questions about my experience, feel free to ask.

[danceuponstars.livejournal.com]

THIS!

[http://users.livejournal.com/___evagination/]

I had cervical cancer caused by HPV. I do not have experience with warts, but I was told by my OB/GYN at the time it was a sign to look out for. Also, in my microbiology class we talked about how the top 6 spreading diseases int eh world happen to be STDs and one was HPV and she also mentioned how it can do both. I feel like a jack ass because I've been passing this info on. (See comment above.)

Are you sure the low-risk one can't morph into the higher risk one?

[betterbebalboa.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there are dozens of strains of HPV, but they're clearly divided into high-risk and low-risk varieties. However, I think what the information you're citing is trying to bring to light is that someone who has been exposed to one strain of HPV may well have been exposed to multiple strains of HPV. So, while warts and cervical cancer aren't caused by the same thing, one may still be a warning sign for the other - the same way that the Red Cross asks if you've tested positive for syphilis, because that can be a warning sign that you've also been exposed to HIV. Does that make sense?

[firebaptism.livejournal.com]

hey thanks for the info. i just got back from my doctor and i do have cell changes and need to get that LEEP procedure. I was wondering if you can tell me a bit more about your experience, like did it hurt? what was involved?

[betterbebalboa.livejournal.com]

Of course!

They had to inject anesthetics into my cervix, just like they do into your gums at the dentist, which did hurt. That was the worst part. For the actual LEEP procedure, I didn't feel a thing.

LEEP is basically using a little electrified loop of wire to remove the affected cervical cells. First the OBGYN uses certain solutions (orange and dark brown gunky stuff) to make the affected cells show up clearly. The OBGYN actually uses a special kind of camera aimed up the vaginal canal at the cervix so she/he can see clearly for the procedure. My doctor asked if I wanted to be able to see the screen, and I said sure. It was the first time I had seen my own cervix. It was actually really neat! I asked for my screen to be turned off before they removed tissue, though.

The entire thing took maybe two hours. Afterward, I felt kind of crampy, as if I had my period. There was some gunky bits of black discharge, which was the special solution coming out - totally normal. Bleeding was minimal. I had to wait a month before having sex again (or inserting fingers, or using tampons, etc). In actuality, I went back for a checkup after three weeks, and because the amount of tissue they removed from me was relatively small, I had basically healed already, and they told me I could have sex again at that point. At the checkup, they make sure you're healing properly, and they also let you know if the LEEP managed to remove all affected cells.

After that, standard protocol is to keep going back for pap smears every six months. If three pap smears in a row come back with normal results, then your body is deemed to have cleared the virus, and the whole rigmarole is over - unless, of course, you contract a new strain of high-risk HPV later on. You don't have to worry about re-contracting the same strain of high-risk HPV you originally had (for example, from a previous partner), because your body develops an immunity. If you haven't already had the Gardasil vaccine, it protects from four of the most common strains of HPV (two high-risk and two low-risk), so it may be worth considering.

A single LEEP is very unlikely to affect any future pregnancies. Multiple LEEP procedures, however, can cause complications during pregnancy, because the cervix has been thinned from removing tissue. This is why providers sometimes choose to monitor HPV developments, rather than recommending a LEEP procedure right away, especially if the patient is young and especially if the cell changes are mild to moderate. If the cell changes are severe, it is important to perform a LEEP procedure to prevent cancer from developing.

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions!

[x-hypatia-x.livejournal.com]

In addition to what others have said about HPV, depending on what exactly they said, it may just be that it was inconclusive and they need to do another one (which could be caused by menstrual fluid, or sometimes they just don't get enough cells). If they said "it was abnormal," then as far as I know, that's almost certainly caused by HPV.

[atalanta0jess.livejournal.com]

abnormal could mean ASCUS, which I believe can be caused by things other than HPV. :)