This may seem silly to those who have had to cope with worse but i dont know where else to turn to for answers. I am 25 nearing 26 and I recently received a letter informing me i have abnormal cells and signs of HPV on my cervix and have been booked for a Colposcopy. I understand that this is routine to check for any pre-cancerous cells but i am particularly concerned as it is my first PAP test and that these cells may have been present in my cervix for a long time. I have been reading into Cervical cancer and HPV and have a few concerns about this. The first being that as i am made aware how the HPV is transmitted i now know that i must have had this virus for well over a year because that is when i was last sexually active which then leads me on to believe that as a result of the HPV having been in my body for some time that there could be chances of it having developed into pre-cancerous cells already. I have also had a baby 8 months previous and although its said to be rare i worry about having passed this onto my son during childbirth. I am aware of procedures and what is routine and normal with regards to testing but this is causing me great upset and anxiety because i fear the worst and because as i say its my first PAP test i fear that abnormal cells may have been present for some time. I also spoke to my GP asking about if its possible to have the HPV vaccine who informed me it isnt routinely offered which i also understand however in certain cases i am wondering if this available?
I have my test in less than 2 weeks and since i had the results i have done nothing but worry and get upset especially thinking about HPV being passed on through childbirth. I have spoken to several people now and some have made me feel even worse because health professionals have used the term "cure" when i asked about my results and further tests which makes me think that there may be cause for concern with regards to my result and that i may be somewhat left in the dark about the full extent of it til my Colposcopy. I am also suffering lately from heavy periods and clotting and a lot of pain which feels as though it is near my left ovary and also pain in the lower back which has been there since i can remember. Also if i have been called in less than 2 weeks from my PAP does this mean that my results may be a cause for concern because i have heard it can take weeks and weeks? This is first PAP test and i am nearing 26 so this is all new to me and i can only imagine the anxiety another abnormal result will cause. Even if the result is normal i have the anxiety over it returning as pre-cancerous later on in life between the ages 30-39 as informed this is the most common age of development from pre-cancerous cells forming from HPV. Some information on HPV is also concerning as genital warts are described as low risk abnormalities however as i do not and never have had warts yet the HPV is present then i worry mine will be of higher risk grade because i have never had warts.
This is all too much to take in for me at the moment and will always be in the back of my mind now for a very long time regardless of the outcome :(
