Cervical cancer is very, very slow growing. What grade were your 'bad' cells?

There are many different kinds of hpv. The kind that cause warts is different than the kind that may cause cervical cancer. You can have both at the same time. Reports vary, but up to 80% of the sexually active population has hpv and never knows it. Many women get cervical dysplasia (the 'bad' cells the pap smear picks up) and have never had cervical cancer and never will have cervical cancer.

Pap smears are only a tool to see if there needs to be further diagnostic testing (colposcopy and then biopsy). Pap smears do not diagnose anything.

Cervical abnormalities are very, very treatable. I know it sounds scary, but not knowing what is going on is worse than the knowing. There is also a chance your body rid itself of the abnormalities on it's own.

The body can get rid of hpv itself. That is part of why some people never know they had it and why it spreads the way it does.

Good luck.

Thank you so much for your input, just hearing that puts me at ease. When I got the pap done they said it was mild abnormalties and it was probaly just the hpv doing that. They wanted me to get a colposcopy done shortly after to find out what was going on. I have not had insurance and still dont thats why I was unable to get it done sooner. I applied for a program that will pay for the colposcopy so we will see. Im just scared to death and thinking the worst that since I waited so long that it has spread throughout my body and I am going to die. Thank you so much for your knowledge and time.

Don't worry. I know that is so much easier said than done. I have done a very lot of research in this area, and I feel confident that you will be fine.

In fact, giving birth vaginally may have been enough to slough off the 'bad' cells! You would not have been able to have a colpo right after birthing your baby anyway, they would have waited at least 6 weeks or more for you to heal. And, when a pap smear showed I had high grade cells, they took more than 2 months to schedule my colposcopy. It isn't a fast moving thing by any means. I was terrified, calling the doctor's office trying to get my appointment bumped up and they wouldn't do it. They probably thought I was silly, but I was afraid.

When women hear cervical abnormalities, they automatically assume 'cancer'. But it isn't cancer. It isn't even pre cancer. It is dysplasia, or cells that are changing. Eventually they could potentially become cancer - estimates say it can take 10 years to turn into cancer. That is actually the very reason we have pap smears. People mistakenly believe that pap smears are for stds, they won't detect any stds. They are only for abnormal cells on the cervix.

I hope your 'bad' cells have all disappeared. Good luck!!!!!

Good thank you- I actually though was unable to deliver vaginally because I had warts blocking my birth canal and they didnt think I would be able to deliver regualry. I think the ones inside are gone, but the warts on the outside are still there. Thank you again for all your help and I will defenitly inform you once I find out. I am going to the doctors july 11th and have to pay for the colposcopy with my own money, or I could wait until august when I have insurance. Im not sure which to do. I want to find out right away since its been so long its just so expensive

Hello,

im actually writing on behalf of my gfriend who just had a colscopy today.
Its been an incredibly long ordeal dealing with the clinic and it literally took a year for them to finally do a proper test. She could only get appointments 3 months apart. Every appointment they would say there were some abnormalities but nothing to worry about if it persisted theyd do more tests.. A year later... One of the doctors finally does the test and says he sees something under the microscope and took a sample. Not once during this year did they tell my gf she was hpv positive so when the doctor mentioned it my gf was shocked. Even the nurse commented " no one ever told you?"

as she was getting dressed my gf asked the same nurse what was going on. She stated that the doctor saw a little something underthe scope and took a sample and seems like it could be stage 2 cervical cancer. Mind you no one ever did more than a pap within the last year!

Needless to say my gf is freaking out cause they told her she cant get the results for another 3 weeks!

Now ive read that it takes a while to go through the stage but I havent seen any actual documentation... How long do the stages take? Since it was a nurse just talking off the cuff and without any results she wasnt really sure if it even is cancer or stage 2 a or b?

How long does it take to get to stage 2? Im sick to death about the possible cancer and the fact that she has and most likely I have hpv is completely taking a back seat but even more so is im feeling a lot of guilt about me possibly being the reason she has hpv.. How long does it take hpv to turn into stage 2? Ive been with her a little over a year. And the abnormal came in 6 months into our relationship. She claims she was a virgin before me only having had one none intercourse encounter proir to me. Im already beating myself with guilt that its all my fault but some people have mentioned that to get to that stage she may have had it long before knowing me.............And that im not at fault.... Not that it really matters. I just want her to get difinative results and get better what ever the case is. As you can tell im being torn in many directions from worry about her health to guilt about me being the cause.

Can someone shed a little light? What are survival rates for stage 2 a or b? What can I do besides be there for her???

I am going to try to help you the best that I can. I found out I had hpv about a year ago due to abnormal pap. Just because you have hpv dosnt mean that it is always going to turn into cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is one of the slower growing cancers. I went in for a colposcopy as well and they said that I have precancerous cells. Is that what your girlfriend has or does she already have the start of cancer? Hopefully since they are catching it they can remove it for her and then she will just have to go in every 3-6 months to make sure its not returning. My best friend had hers develop into cancer and she was able to remove the cancerous cells and has been cancer free ever since. So try to calm down a little, I know its very scarey. As far as hpv goes, hpv is one of the most common std's you can get. They say 8 out 10 people will interact with some type of hpv in there life. So its very common, dont feel that just because you have it now that there is something wrong with you. I hope you guys can hang in there and just remind her shes not alone and the fact that they have caught the cancerous cells before they were full blown cancer is a very good thing. Please write back and let me know how all is.