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1. What happens next?

If your Pap smear shows a high grade abnormality, your doctor will refer you to a specialist for a colposcopy and possibly a biopsy. These procedures are explained in Chapter 5.

If a colposcopy and biopsy show a high grade abnormality, your specialist will recommend that you have treatment. Once the diagnosis has been made by biopsy, it may take a few weeks to get treatment. While you may feel anxious, it is safe to wait a few weeks for treatment as a high grade abnormality is not cervical cancer.

There is more information about treatment in Chapter 7.

2. Feeling worried?

You might feel worried or anxious at this time. Talking with your partner, family or friends and especially your doctor can be helpful. You may also want to contact the Cancer Information Service at your State Cancer Council or a local women’s health service. Some contact details are in Appendix 5.

Remember that if you have a high grade abnormality, there is only a very small chance (less than 1%) that you may have cervical cancer. If the colposcopy and biopsy show no evidence of cancer, then it is very unlikely that a cancer will be found. If this does happen, it is most likely to be a very early cancer that can be cured with treatment.

It is safe to wait a few weeks for treatment as a high grade abnormality is not cervical cancer.

The following diagram shows the usual recommendations for managing low and high grade abnormal Pap smear results.

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