What does an abnormal PAP smear mean?

A PAP-test is the most important screening procedure for early prevention of cervical cancer. The PAP-test’s major purpose is the simple detection of precancerous and cancerous lesions of the uterus’s cervix. PAP-tests can also reveal benign cervical and vaginal lesions (infections, atrophy etc.) but that is not its main task. During a PAP-test, the cells that desquamate from the exocervix and cervical canal are examined by a cytologist. Reports from the PAP-tests are divided in 3 main categories: 1. normal report; 2. benign cell changes (infections etc.), and 3. epithelial abnormalities. The third category includes precancerous and cancerous cervical, endocervical and endometrial lesions. An abnormal PAP smear indicates that you are experiencing some type of disorder or lesion that belongs to the second or third category.