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Top women’s OBGYN and abnormal Pap Smears in Atlanta and Alpharetta, GA
Women’s OBGYN provide Atlanta and Alpharetta, GA with a variety of services. One of the most common is wellness care. These physicians provide annual well woman checks that play an important role in keeping women healthy. As part of these checks, your OBGYN will often perform a Pap Smear, the frequency of which will depend on your age and medical history. This test helps with the early detection of cervical cancer.
While the majority of the time, this test comes back with no abnormal results, you may get a call from your women’s OBGYN that they were. We’ll cover what your next steps are after an abnormal Pap Smear and what that means.
First, don’t panic
Getting a call from your women’s OBGYN that says your results were abnormal can be scary. Most women immediately think they have cervical cancer. However, that is likely not the case. There are many factors that can trigger a positive result from your Pap Smear including viruses such as HPV, yeast infections, and even bacterial infections. Even an inadequate collection of cells can trigger an abnormal test result.
Next steps
Your women’s OBGYN will likely do an additional test called a colposcopy. This is an in office procedure in which your OBGYN will use a magnifying instrument called a colposcope to examine the tissues of the cervix, vagina, and vulva.
If your women’s OBGYN notices an area that appear abnormal during the colposcopy, they will take a tissue sample. This sample will then be sent off for further analysis which will help them make a definitive diagnosis. Depending on the results to this and the colposcopy, your doctor will then determine a treatment plan.
Going forward
If your doctor finds nothing concerning after your colposcopy, they may recommend you have more frequent Pap Smears for a while. While most women do not need a Pap Smear every year, your women’s OBGYN may recommend it until your next few come back normal.
Be open with your OBGYN going forward as well. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about your previous results and keep the dialogue open when it comes to your treatment plan.
Atlanta and Alpharetta, GA top women’s OBGYN
Atlanta and Alpharetta, GA women should make sure they go to regular wellness exams with a women’s OBGYN. These visits are an important part of your health and help provide the early detection of diseases. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen your OBGYN for a checkup, make your appointment today. Contact your top Alpharetta and Atlanta OBGYN for your obstetrics and gynecology care.
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