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Had a abnormal smear .....so worried

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laura76565
laura76565

Hi I'm new to this forum but I'm 24 yrs old and I suffer terribly with health anxiety I constantly think I have cancer .....so as you can imagine getting an abornormal smear result didn't help....my dr just explained on the phone I have nothing to worry about but I am being referred to a colposcopy clinic which sounds scary,he did say I can reassure you it's not cancer,but I am still so worried I have currently taken two diazepam to calm me down after that phonecall,can anyone reassure me with their experiences ,I'd be so so so greatful. Thank you ......laura 

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • eliz52
    eliz52 laura76565

    Posted

    I'm not surprised Laura, in fact, I'd almost expect it.

    This is why countries who follow the evidence and put women first do not perform pap tests on women under the age of 30. 1 in 3 pap tests WILL be "abnormal" in women under 25, false positives caused by the pap test picking up normal changes in the maturing cervix or transient and harmless infections.

    Heads should roll that we continue to worry and harm so many women, many of them very young.

    No country in the world has shown a benefit pap testing those under 30, but this group produce the most false positives, so it's risk for no benefit.

    The Finns have the lowest rates of this always-rare cancer in the world and refer FAR fewer women for colposcopies, excess biopsies and over-treatment, they do not offer pap testing until women are 30. This program has been in place since the 1960s so this is not new evidence. The lifetime risk of cc is less than 1%, 0.65%

    The Dutch also, protect their young women, they'll scrap their 7 pap test program, 5 yearly from 30 to 60, and offer instead 5 HPV primary tests or self-testing at ages 30,35,40,50 and 60 and a 5 yearly pap test will only the offered to the roughly 5% who are HPV+

    This will save more lives and takes most women out of harms way.

    Now you have that "abnormal" pap test...it often means a colposcopy and biopsy.

    The worry and harm we cause with the inappropriate use of this test should be a scandal.

    I'd urge you to do some reading. I'd be careful allowing them to do too much, cervical cancer at your age is VERY rare indeed, but false positives are common.

    I don't have pap testing, HPV- women cannot benefit...and most women are HPV-

    Of course, all of this unnecessary pap testing, excess biopsies and over-treatment makes a fortune for vested interests. 

  • natalie15919
    natalie15919 laura76565

    Posted

    Hi laura,

    What did your results say?

    I to suffer from health anxiety which got really bad during my 2nd pregnancy. I was on setraline and under psychiatrist but have since stopped both my son is now 4 months and I have just had my first smear I'm also 24 it came back abnormal and I went onto panic mode, crying, looking on Google so I no how you feel and how much worse health anxiety makes it.

    Mine came back borderline with HPV I'm also waiting for a concloscopy.

    Natalie

    • eliz52
      eliz52 natalie15919

      Posted

      Another woman under 25 with an abnormal pap test, it tells you something when so many young women get an abnormal test result when the cancer itself is rare, VERY rare before 30. Lifetime risk of cc is 0.65% while the lifetime risk of colposcopy and biopsy here in Australia is 77%, HUGE over-treatment, the figure in the UK would be a bit lower, but still fairly high. We still screen very young women, from 18, some are even younger, so we have huge over-treatment rates, at least the UK stopped screening those under 25 a few years ago, we'll finally make some changes in 2016 to 5 yearly HPV testing from age 25 - still too early and too often and we'll screen for too long, but screening is big business, excess makes a lot of money for vested interests. These programs should be independently assessed to ensure they follow the evidence and put the interests of women first and respect informed consent, our legal right.

      HPV is fairly common in women under 30, about 40% will be HPV+ but by age 30 only 5% are HPV+, so these transient and harmless infections mostly clear within a year or so.

      That's why HPV primary testing is also, not recommended before age 30 in an evidence based program, too many would test positive and that can mean unnecessary and potentially harmful procedures.

      It's the 5% who are HPV+ at age 30 to 60 who should be offered a 5 yearly pap test, they have a small chance of benefiting.

      No wonder so many women have health anxiety with so much non-evidence based screening scaring them to death and leading to so many stressful and unnecessary biopsies etc.

      I'd urge every woman to do some reading and make informed decisions about screening, understand what you're agreeing to...these tests carry risk. In the case of pap testing only about 5% of women have a chance of benefiting, the rest are testing unnecessarily. 

      HPV Today, Edition 24, sets out the latest Dutch program, the best in the world, in my opinion, for those who wish to test. They protect their young women and do not offer pap or HPV testing (or self testing) before age 30.

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