How do you read Pap smear results?

A Pap test result can be normal, unclear, or abnormal.

Normal. A normal (or “negative”) result means that no cell changes were found on your cervix.
Unclear (ASC-US) It is common for test results to come back unclear.
Abnormal. An abnormal result means that cell changes were found on your cervix.
Negative.
Positive.

What are the normal results of a Pap smear?

A normal, also called negative, Pap smear result indicates that no evidence of abnormal cells were found in the sample. An abnormal, or positive, result on a Pap smear indicates that abnormal cells were detected in the sample and additional treatment or testing may be necessary.

How is the sample of the Pap smear examined?

Pap test. In a Pap test, your doctor uses a vaginal speculum to hold your vaginal walls apart and to see the cervix. Next, a sample of cells from your cervix is collected using a small cone-shaped brush and a tiny plastic spatula (1 and 2).

What shows up on a Pap smear?

Pap tests (or Pap smears) look for cancers and precancers in the cervix. Precancers are cell changes that can be caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). If not treated, these abnormal cells could lead to cervical cancer. An HPV test looks for HPV in cervical cells.

What happens if you test positive for HPV?

If you get a positive HPV test, your physician has detected one or more high risk strains of the virus on the Pap test of your cervix. If the virus stays with you for a long time, it can cause cell changes that can lead to several types of cancer.

How long does a Pap smear result take?

It can take as long as three weeks to receive your test results. If your test shows that something might not be normal, your doctor will contact you and figure out how best to follow up. There are many reasons why test results might not be normal.

What do these Pap smear results indicate?

One may also ask, what do my pap smear results mean? If the results of your Pap test come back positive, that means your doctor found abnormal or unusual cells on your cervix. It doesn’t mean you have cervical cancer. Most often, the abnormal test result means there have been cell changes caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV).

What does a positive Pap smear result mean?

A positive pap smear result can be an indication that the cervix is affected by a number of things including inflammation, very early signs of cancer, more serious signs of cancer, and advanced cancer. It usually takes 2 to 3 weeks to receive the pap smear test results.

How long do papsmear results take?

It usually takes around two weeks for a doctor to get the results of a Pap smear back from the lab.

How accurate is a Pap smear?

The best way to get accurate results is to do the pap and the hpv test together. Pap smears are fairly accurate but they are not perfect, particularly for abnormal cells inside the cervical canal. But if your pap was normal and your hpv test was also negative, then your chance of having dysplasia would be very low.

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How do you read Pap smear results? A Pap test result can be normal, unclear, or abnormal. Normal. A normal (or “negative”) result means that no cell changes were found on your cervix. Unclear (ASC-US) It is common for test results to come back unclear. Abnormal. An abnormal result means that cell changes were found…