Question
I had a pap in July and had no clue that it was abnormal.I am only 19 yrs. I knew that I was infected with Clamidia I got treated for that and when I went to get the shot at a new location the Nurse told me that my last pap was abnormal. I am frieghten to death cause I had a cousin that lost her uterus do to cancer in the uterus which she was only 18. I had an other pap to see if it is still abnormal. What cause an abnormal pap? Also I am very scared to tell my mother. I dont know what to do or think. What does abnormal actually mean?
Answer
Hi joelsgirl and welcome! First of all...relax. There are all kinds of reasons to get an abnormal pap result. Sometimes it's an indication of something serious, but often it is not. It's definitely something you want to follow though, meaning keep your pap appts. I had three abnormal pap tests in my life and the nurses acted as if it was routine. Turns out it was nothing and the following paps all came back normal.
If your second test shows abnormal, discuss it with your doctor. Ask him exactly what that means. But for now, try not and get yourself too worked up over it. I know it scared the hell out of me when I got my first abnormal test. Your mind starts thinking all kinds of things.
In fact, I suggest that you call your doctor's nurse today, just to ease your mind, and ask what are some of the reasons that a pap can show abnormal. Express your concerns. I'm pretty sure what they will tell you. Maybe it will help relieve the anxiety. Hope this helps! ....franjo
Answer
Definition
Chlamydia trachomatis is an intracellular organism (that is, it only grows within cells). Chlamydia usually infects the cervix and fallopian tubes of women and the urethra of men.
Chlamydial infections are believed to be one of the most common of all STDs. It is generally thought that in a population of 15 million, there are up to 300,000 cases of chlamydia each year. Thus, there are many undiagnosed cases of chlamydia in the community. It has been estimated that the true prevalence of chlamydia in the sexually active population may be in the order of 5% to 10%. Chlamydia is one of the leading causes of blindness in underdeveloped countries.
Signs and Symptoms
Chlamydia often produces no symptoms. Approximately 60% of women and 40% of men have no symptoms. Infection of the cervix and fallopian tubes occurs commonly, and chlamydia can also cause urethral infection. Symptoms can include dysuria (pain or burning on urination), cystitis (bladder infection), a thin vaginal discharge and/or lower abdominal pain, menstrual irregularities, pain in intercourse or even low back pain. Mucopurulent cervicitis (inflammation of the cervix with pus) is very common.
In men, chlamydia may produce chlamydial urethritis (inflammation of the urethra) similar to that of gonorrhea. Symptoms may include dysuria or a mucopurulent discharge from the penis.
Often chlamydia infection is only be detected when routine examination is performed and chlamydia testing is done, such as at an STD checkup, after having sex with a new partner.
Complications
The most severe complication of chlamydia in women, as with gonorrhea, is the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can involve the uterus, tubes and ovaries producing pelvic and/or abdominal pain, pain on intercourse, fever. Chlamydia (symptomatic and asymptomatic) infections have been held responsible for more than 200,000 cases of infertility in women in the USA each year. It is also a leading cause of future tubal pregnancies which can have life-threatening potential.
Chlamydia infections causing often causes not only urethritis but also epididymitis, inflammation of the epididymis in men. This infection can also lead to the man's inability to cause future pregnancies.
Transmission
The risk of infection from person-to-person is similar to that of gonorrhea, through sexual intercourse or oral sex. It can also be passed to the eye by a hand moistened with infected secretions. Chlamydia can be transmitted during anal intercourse causing proctitis (inflammation of the rectum). It can also be passed from mother to her newborn child during birth, causing eye infection (conjunctivitis) or pneumonia.
Testing
Recently developed tests have made effective intervention against chlamydia possible. The main methods of testing are the fluorescent antibody (FA) examination of a direct smear, the enzyme immunoassay test (EIA) and polymerase chain reaction on either a genital swab or a urine specimen.
Because chlamydia is an intracellular organism (it exists inside cells, not in the pus), the correct swab technique is very important in order to obtain a positive test result. In women a swab is placed just into the cervical canal and rotated gently in order to collect cervical cells. The swab is then placed into the appropriate container.
In men a urethral swab may be required. Some men find this a painful and unpleasant procedure, particularly if there is urethral inflammation. Gentle persuasion as to the necessity of the test may be required. A special urethral swab is inserted into the urethra and gently rotated, so that some urethral cells adhere to the swab.
In both men and women, the swab for chlamydia should be the last if a series of swabs are being performed for STD diagnosis. Women can be tested for chlamydia even if they are menstruating.
Treatment
Chlamydial infections are treated most effectively with the drug doxycycline or erythromycin, taken orally for 10 days. More complicated infections, such as PID, require longer treatment.
Prevention
The use of condoms during vaginal and anal intercourse.
Sexual practices other than intercourse carry less risk of transmitting chlamydia.
Because chlamydia can infect the eyes, care must be taken to avoid spreading sexual fluids into them.
Where infection has occurred, it is important to avoid sexual contact involving the genitals during the course of treatment until a negative test result is obtained. This will aid healing and prevent transmission.
If your sexual partner has any discharge testing for chlamydia should be requested and you too should be checked.
Where there has been unprotected intercourse and one or more of the following exist:
Change of sexual partners in previous 2 months
More than one sexual partner
Partner has other sexual partners
If you are under 25 years and there has been unprotected intercourse, there is a greater likelihood that one or more of the above factors will exist
If you have an IUD and any of the above factors exist, there is a high risk of PID.
Many physicians believe that all partners should be treated whether or not they have a positive test for chlamydia. Since gonorrhea and even syphilis are often transmitted with chlamydia testing for these STDs should also be performed prior to treatment of chlamydia.
Follow-Up
A repeat chlamydia test should be taken 2 weeks after completion of antibiotic therapy. Safe sex practices should be reviewed and all sexual contacts should be tested, treated and found to be negative. Sexual relations should not be restarted until all of these are done.
It is highly recommend that serology for HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis be taken at 3 months.
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Life isn't what happens to you -- it's how you react to it!
Answer
I don't know how your clamydia diagnosis is going to affect the value of your abnormal pap smear -- in other words, I don't know just how much of an impact that STD will have on the lab result's potential for being marred.
From what I know, a great deal will depend on how long you had it before it was detected and treated, and to be sure you keep your folow ups. Making sure your sex partner has been treated as well is important.
As for abnormal pap smears in general, I've never had an STD, so "in general," I've had 2 abnormals, one a few years ago and the first one about 20 years ago. So far everything has been fine.
It is probably more common than you think to have an abnormal pap -- many women get them. Many times, it's a lab foul up or just a funky culture. A lot of things can affect the smear too, such as if you've washed, douched, had sex, have an discharge, how close you are to your period, if there's any other diseases present, etc.
From what I gather, they'll probably want to do several pap smears to see what your subsequent tests show, and look to see if you produce several positive results in a row.
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Life isn't what happens to you -- it's how you react to it!
Answer
When do you get the results of the second test?
Lot's of things can cause abnormal paps, even things like the sample getting contaminated (which happens more often than we would like to think). My cousin (granted, she is older than you), had three paps over the course of one year that were all abnormal. She had other health issues, so her doctor didn't think much about it (she was hysterical, of course). But finally they are coming back normal again.
So try to relax until the next results get in.
Best wishes!
