To understand the implications of having an abnormal pap smear during pregnancy, it is important to first understand exactly what this test is and what it does. A pap smear is a regular test that every adult woman should have around every two or three years. Some health care providers recommend to some patients that they should have a pap smear every year. During a pap smear, a group of cells from the cervix are collected and examined microscopically to help determine if a woman has cervical cancer or if she is at risk of developing cervical cancer. A pap smear is a fast test, and is, for the most part, painless. The accuracy of the pap smear is relatively high, which means that very few women who have a regular pap smear will have cervical cancer.

A pap smear that indicates no abnormalities is called a “normal” or “negative” pap smear. A pap smear that indicates cancerous or pre-cancerous cells is called “positive” or “abnormal.” A variety of things can interfere with the results of a pap smear. Having intercourse, using vaginal creams or suppositories, or using spermicide within two days of having the pap smear can cause an abnormal result.

During pregnancy, it is likely that your health care provider will want to do a pap smear. A pap smear is considered routine for a pregnant woman. A pap smear does not create any risks to you or to your fetus. If your pap smear comes back with an abnormal result during pregnancy, your health care provider will probably discuss possible treatment options that are safe for you during pregnancy, or discuss the possibility of delaying any treatments until after you have your baby. In many cases, just delivering your baby will wash away the abnormal cells.

If there are serious problems, it is possible that your health care provider might want to perform some sort of treatment or at least further testing during your pregnancy. She might recommend a colposcopy or a cervical biopsy. If so, these procedures may cause some bleeding of the outside of the cervix, but do not pose any threat to your baby. If your health care provider wishes to do an internal biopsy, there may be some risk of pregnancy complications, and you should discuss these risks with your health care provider.

Posted in Pregnancy

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