The treatment of most abnormal PAP smears has become much more conservative over the last five years. We see the highest percentage of abnormal PAPs occurring in patients from ages 15-25 and it is precisely this group of patients that should not be overtreated.
Most of the time the abnormal PAPs are mild and the usual treatments such as cryo (freezing), laser, and LEEP (surgical excision of abnormal tissue using a wire loop) can slightly increase the chances of future problems such as infertility due to stenosis (scarring) of the cervix or cervical incompetence (weakening of the connective tissue of the cervix which results in premature dilation of the cervix in pregnancy.)
However, we are very aware that many patients become extremely anxious when told that they have an abnormal PAP and do not want to just keep repeating the test. Therefore, we individualize each case and treat each person according to their level of comfort. Obviously, in the cases where the abnormality is more serious, we will recommend treatment rather than observation.
We have an interactive computer informed consent program that you can view in our Patient Media Center. It covers the causes and treatments of abnormal PAPs in greater depth.
There are always a lot of questions concerning abnormal PAP tests and the treatment involved, so here are some other Web sites that will give you more information. Just don't forget to come back to A Woman's View when you are finished!
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