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Scared about call about HPV from gyno today

Hello. I just got a call from my gynecologist today saying my pap results came back LSIL. The pap I had 6 months ago was ASCUS. Does this mean it was a new HPV infection since it has progressed instead of getting better in 6 months? Also, how do I know if I have high or low risk HPV? Is high risk HPV the only strain that can cause an abnormal pap? Please help. I'm very scared and stressed out. I am a 28 year old female if that helps. Thanks
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Avatar universal
Your ASCUS Pap as I'm sure you know meant Atypical Cells of Undetermined Significance, really they were not sure if this Pap was normal or not—really a borderline abnormal. The LSIL means Low Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion, this usually means HPV. However there is a very fine line between these diagnosis’s and what they see on a Pap Smear slide and it does not mean it progressed—it is subjective to either the computer interpretation or the cytotech. Most LSIL Paps clear in 6-12 months and 24 months at most. You would have high risk HPV for an abnormal Pap; but before you panic “high risk” just sounds bad and dangerous. Most HPV infections are transient and clear especially in your age group—under 30. There is no way to tell if this is a new infection or old one—and some of that may depend if you have had new partners. However you will never know for sure. Regardless this should clear up. It is possible that your physician will want you to have a colposcopy but she/he may just want a repeat Pap in 6 months. Don’t worry. This is a common finding in your age.
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Avatar universal
Thank you sooo much Holly. You sound so well informed. I'm so sick of hearing a generic answer that HPV is the ONLY thing that causes abnormal paps. And I'm not in denial that I may have it; 2 partners or not. I'm just frustrated because all the medical experts I've talked to make it seem like HPV is the only thing that can give an abnormal pap. I have known numerous women who had abnormal paps that didn't have HPV. But like I said, even though I've had 2 partners, I know both of them had a LOT more partners than that and that is why I sadly accepted that I do have HPV. They were both long term relationships, too with the 1st one lasting about 3 years. That's irrelevant though. Do you think I should get the colposcopy that my gyno is recommending? I honestly feel it's pointless to get a biopsy on a minor abnormality that is just gonna go away anyway. Also, I'm not necessarily stoked about sitting through an uncomfortable procedure (I already hate paps. lol) just to have a piece of my cervix clipped just so it can be sent off to a lab negative of any cancer. That seems so silly to me. Do you think I should get the Gardasil vaccine to protect me from future strains of HPV? Also, the girl I know with low risk HPV says she doesn't get warts. She was tested separately for both high risk and low risk and came back negative for high risk but positive for low risk. She said she had  LEEP done because she had lesions. But she consistently had abnormal paps until she had the LEEP done.
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Avatar universal

First if you are 28 with only 2 sexual partners you are very low risk for any cervical abnormality. Paps are prone to lab error but they are the best we have and that is why repeated testing has proved to be so successful. There are some women that often repeatedly have mildly abnormal paps that don't mean anything except for a little mild inflammation or irritation. HPV is very common but it is equally possible that your Pap was not read properly. Your friend that had genital warts and an abnormal Pap, either had strains from both low risk and high risk which is called a mixed infection or her test was not read properly. If she had an HPV test, there are times that it cross reacts with some of the low risk HPV’s and produces a positive test. If it were me I would not have an HPV test. If you are under 30 with the history that you have even if you had HPV it is common in your age and most likely a transient infection. Your Dr. will probably tell you that with a LSIL Pap that you have HPV but that is not entirely true either—the study that they base this off of stated that 80% of people that had LSIL had HPV so they conclude that all have HPV when there is the 20% chance that it is not HPV. HPV is common at your age. Cervical cancer is very, very rare—and usually occurs in women in their late 40’s. Also at your age, too much testing can produce results that you don’t want and that won’t mean anything regarding your health because the virus clears but it could have both future medical and life insurance ramifications. If it were me I would sit tight for another 6 months and have a repeat Pap. Good Luck!
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Avatar universal
Hi, Holly. I had automatically assumed I had high risk HPV because I have never gotten warts (although I know people can have low risk and not get warts) and also because of the abnormal pap. However, I know a girl who has low risk HPV and she said she had abnormal paps. So that is why I was confused. I also read the risk factors for high risk HPV are: sex before age 18, more than 6 sexual partners and smoking. I was almost 24 before I became sexually active (28 now) and I've had 2 partners and I don't smoke at all. Can I order an HPV test to find out for sure if I have high risk or low risk?
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