So You Got An Abnormal Pap. Now What?
- By
Julia Austin
Source: RgStudio / Getty
A pap smear versus a colposcopy
If you test positive for high-risk HPV and your pap smear shows abnormal cells, the next thing your doctor will recommend is a colposcopy. “A Pap smear is like a screening. We’re just brushing over the surface of the cervix, getting a random sampling of cells. A colposcopy looks through a microscope that enlarges it, and picks out specific areas of abnormality. The doctor may see an area they want to biopsy. If that tissue is of a higher grade of abnormality than what was found on the pap, the doctor may recommend further treatment.”
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