(I want to preface by saying I really like my gynecologist. He agreed to sterilize me at 23 with no kids and is vocally supportive of women’s autonomy and reproductive rights. My intention isn’t to complain about him.)
In late March, I (25F) had some concerning bleeding during sex with my boyfriend. The internet said it could be anything from an early period to a sign of cervical cancer. I scheduled an appointment with my gynecologist for mid-April, and we discussed possible causes of the bleeding. He mentioned chlamydia or gonorrhea being a possibility (and maybe something else but I don’t fully remember). It had been a year since my last pap smear, so I asked if we could do another just to be safe. He said he wouldn’t recommend that since my last pap in 2024 was normal, as well as my pap in 2022. However, I had an abnormal pap back in 2021, and I wanted another just to be safe. My doctor ultimately agreed.
I got my pap smear results a few days later. It was abnormal, and I tested positive for HPV. A couple weeks later, I had my colposcopy and biopsy. One of the samples was a low grade lesion (CIN 1), while the second was high grade (CIN 2). This is considered precancerous, and while CIN 1 often clears on its own, CIN 2 and 3 (CIN 3 is basically stage 0 cancer) generally require further treatment to keep it from progressing. My doctor was quite surprised that I went from a normal pap smear to CIN 2 in just one year, since abnormal cells in the cervix typically take a very long time to grow.
I don’t think my doctor did anything wrong by not recommending a pap, since general guidelines are that you can wait 2-3 years after a normal pap smear before getting the next one. But guidelines don’t always apply to every single case, and something felt off to me. I’m so glad I trusted my gut and advocated for myself! It may have saved my life.