curious about repeat pap smears

[a-tiny-goat.livejournal.com]

I'm just curious about how frequently the need to have a pap smear repeated due to not collecting enough cells, not being able to read the slide, etc. (but NOT due to abnormalities within the cells) occurs.

I have had 5-6 initial pap smears in my life, and of those, needed to repeat the test twice due to once not collecting enough cells and once having too much blood on the slide to read it properly. Does this seem to happen as frequently with everyone else?

Comments

[farting-nora.livejournal.com]

That has never happened to me, but I have only had three pap smears.

[facecat.livejournal.com]

In the nearly 30 years of getting pap smears the only ones I've had repeated were for some type of suspected abnormality. Never because of improper collection. If you are going to the same health care provider each time you might want to discuss this with them. Obviously someone, either your doctor or the lab, is not up on protocol.

[arularia.livejournal.com]

That sounds about like my track record. I think all of my repeats have been because my practitioner missed the transformation zone.

[archangelbeth]

Only once for me, early on, but... I think I was pretty erratic in getting my paps for a while. >_>

[vivalameghan.livejournal.com]

happened to me once, but everything was okay on the repeat! it was due to the same thing...not collecting enough cells.

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

I've had about... 10? initial pap smears in my life (regularly from 14-17, one around age 19, then regularly from 23-28), and I've never had a repeat.

[insidethefridge.livejournal.com]

happens to me alot. Im prone to having extra yeast and it ruins my pap EVERY time. Always comes back abnormal!

[coco1040.livejournal.com]

20 years of paps for me, not once a repeat due to not enough cells. Early on, my doctor used q-tip style swabs, but has used the scrub-brush type for most of the past 20 years.