Last week I did an IG live, covering all things Pap Smears and HPV. I thought it would be helpful to put together a blog post for you gals to break it all down in one place! If you missed the live, you can watch it back here.
We’ve all heard about the pap smear–hopefully you’re all up to date on yours— but why do we do them and what do the results mean? High grade vs Low grade? As your friendly OBGYN I’m here to explain all the details. Keep reading for three questions that YOU should ask your provider.
+ why we care
Pap smears are done to prevent cervical cancer. The cervix is the bottom part of your uterus! The Pap smear checks for ABNORMAL or different looking cells in the cervix, which can be concerning for cancer. Cervical cancer is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). There are hundreds of strains (aka different types) of the HPV viruses, but not all of them can cause cervical cancer. Some actually can lead to genital warts! What’s really amazing is that most of the time HPV goes away on it’s own thanks to the immune system, which can clear the infection on it’s own!
+ what can I do to help clear an HPV infection?
Unfortunately there’s no supplement or magic pill that you can take to clear HPV, but your own body can clear it! The immune system can fight the infection and actually get rid of HPV. So what can YOU do to help? Number 1: DON’T SMOKE! We know that women who smoke actually have a hard time killing off HPV! 2: Eat a healthy, balanced diet 3: Regular exercise, stay active! Being active helps build a strong immune system! Overall, make sure you’re taking care of your well being and health
+ the results of your pap smear
There are different kinds of cells that can cause abnormal Pap smears. Some cells are considered low grade (ex: CIN 1) = less concerning for cancer, while others are high grade (ex: CIN 2 or 3) = more concerning for pre-cancer cells.
+ treatment
Let’s say your pap smear came back abnormal, so what’s the next step. This will depend on two things: your age and the results of your pap (low vs high grade). As I mentioned earlier, we know that women who are younger and and healthy (and don’t smoke!) are more likely to clear the HPV related infections on their own, while it may be harder for older women (and smokers) to clear the infection. Depending on those two things you may need either a: 1. Colposcopy (where we look at your cervix more closely and take biopsies of necessary) or 2. LEEP (were we removed part of your cervix– this is more invasive and can be done either in the office or in the operating room).
Here’s a full YouTube video I made explaining a Colposcopy in detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6hx1a01uqg&t=622s
+ three questions to ask your provider
- What are the exact results of my pap smear?
- When will I need follow up?
- What can I do personally to lower my risk for cervical cancer? *This answer might vary woman to woman, but overall– quit smoking, get the HPV vaccine, use condoms, having less sexual partners, but always ask your doctor specifically what YOU can do.
It’s important to check with your doctor what your results were. This will determine what follow up you need!
