What Does an Abnormal Pap Smear Mean?

Getting an abnormal Pap smear result can be alarming, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have a serious condition. Take a moment to learn what your results mean and what steps to take next so you can stay proactive about your cervical health.

A Pap smear is a routine screening that checks for abnormal cells in your cervix. It’s an important part of your preventive care because it helps your healthcare team detect potential issues (like infection, inflammation, or even early signs of cervical cancer) before they become more serious.

Most of the time, Pap smear results are normal, which means no abnormal changes were detected. But what does it mean if your Pap smear results come back abnormal?

While it may be concerning, an abnormal Pap smear doesn’t automatically mean you have cancer or a serious condition. It simply means that further testing is needed to understand what’s going on, and our team at South Valley Women's Health Care is here to help.

The basics of Pap smears

We perform Pap smears as part of routine pelvic exams. When you get a Pap smear, we use a speculum to reach your cervix, gently collect a small sample of cells, and send the sample to a lab for evaluation.

The test looks for abnormal changes in these cells, which could indicate a variety of conditions, like:

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection
Inflammation or infection
Precancerous changes
Noncancerous cell changes due to aging

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends Pap smears every three years for women between the ages of 21 and 65. Regular Pap smears are an essential tool in cervical cancer prevention because they allow us to catch abnormal cell changes early when they’re easiest to treat.

What an abnormal Pap smear means

If you find out that your recent Pap smear results are abnormal, you may wonder what to do next. An abnormal Pap smear result alone doesn’t provide a diagnosis — it simply means some cells look different from normal and need further evaluation.

Several different types of abnormalities can appear on a Pap test, including:

Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US), which are minor changes often caused by an HPV infection or inflammation
Low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), which is a mild abnormality, often linked to HPV
High-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), which involves more significant cell changes
Atypical glandular cells (AGC), which are changes in glandular cells

Most of these abnormalities require further testing to identify or rule out serious conditions. Don’t panic if you receive an abnormal result because in many cases, abnormal Pap smears are caused by minor, treatable conditions.

What happens after an abnormal Pap smear

If your Pap smear comes back abnormal, we discuss the next steps with you. We typically recommend additional testing, which can include a repeat Pap smear or HPV testing.

If the abnormality is minor, we may order another Pap test in a few months to see if the issue resolves on its own. Since HPV is a leading cause of cervical abnormalities, an HPV test can determine if the virus is present.

Other options include colposcopy, which is a procedure that involves examining your cervix with a magnifying device, and biopsy, which is taking a small tissue sample to confirm whether precancerous or cancerous cells are present.

An abnormal Pap smear can be scary, but it’s a preventive step — not a diagnosis. Following up with our healthcare team and undergoing any recommended testing allows us to address any concerns early, so you can take steps to protect your health.