If you are a woman of child bearing age, then by now you would have a fair share of abnormal pap smears. In fact abnormal Pap smear while pregnant is common and most often than
If you are a woman of child bearing age, then by now you would have a fair share of abnormal pap smears. In fact abnormal Pap smear while pregnant is common and most often than not the results of the test come back normal. In cases where the results point a deviation then medical treatment and further round of testing is called for. If the results are abnormal there is no cause of panic. It could be a cause of concern or sometimes it may not be something at all. Are abnormal pap smears common during pregnancy and yes has to be the answer on all counts. The best part is that these treatments could be administered to the would be mothers.
If you are pregnant then you can have a Pap smear test undertaken. Most often than not the doctors are likely to perform the tests if it is due on the patients and this is regardless of the pregnancy status of a lady. One of the major differences which you can expect while having a pap test during pregnancy is increase in the levels of bleeding. During a standard pap test some amount of bleeding is on the expected lines.
When a woman is told that she is suffering from an abnormal pap smear it does put her on the edge. As already stated it does not rate to be a matter of major concern. Though the presence of cancer cells is indicated it could point to infection as well. What it does point to your doctor is that further round of testing may be called for.
If the doctor discovers abnormal Pap smear during testing then he will recommend you for a colposcopy or biopsy. In the former you look into the cervix with the help of a magnifying glass whereas in biopsy a small portion of the tissue is taken and send across for further testing. In doing so the doctor will be able to detect on what caused the growth of abnormal cells and if so the treatment measures to be undertaken.
If the doctor formulates an opinion that it is cancer cells then you would need to wait till the pregnancy is over to receive treatment. If it is the early stages of pregnancy the doctor may ask you to terminate the pregnancy so that further course of treatment could be provided. On the other hand if it is the latter stages of pregnancy your labor could be induced early as well. The whole objective is to treat the condition in a quick manner.
To conclude if there are abnormal cells in your cervix there is no risk to the baby. As per medical experts, in most cases these cells are washed away during labor along with delivery. If the doctor is of the opinion that it does pose significant risk to the developing baby they might recommend a C section delivery. The scenario of such a situation emerging is also rare.