smear test - when in cycle to have it?

[RanToTheHills]

had one a few months ago and just (!) got the result back as being inconclusive owing to technical fault so have to repeat. Receptionist said could be that it had been done at wrong point in my cycle, but I'd timed the appt on their advice in 1st place Think i'm now going for it on day 14. Is this about right?

We should have started talking when both pregnant. THEN we would have pushed the limits of obsessive research

I was told that more frequent smears were required for a while after loop excision because they could never be completely sure that the affected area has been completely taken out. Although subsequent biopsy showed peripheral cells to be unaffected. "For a while", though, not "forever", as I guess would be the case if HPV were EXPECTEd to stay after the loop.

suejonez, my abnormal cells increased from CIN1 - CIN111 within 2 months, that is why I am scared. I live in Asia, where I don't have access to free medical care which I would if I were in the UK, as such I do not have the opportunity to ask questions [eg - the loop procedure here cost over 1000 pounds - this is not covered on my medical insurance] If you had seen my posts about my conerns previously, sorry but I have to ask - why did you not reply then?

cotedazur, very interesting info on your DH's tests, I have not heard or read about this procedure for men whilst doing research on this subject.

Glad to hear everything has turned ok with you and suejonez.

I think you can have it done at any time when you are not bleeding.

However mid cycle (i.e. day 12-16) you will have a lot of mucous around your cervix which can impede things. Irronically most HAs recommend "mid-cycle" so they make sure you are not bleeding

MuckyA - I did respond then, several times. Sorry, I'm not trying to piss you off but to reassure you than even if you went from CIN1-3 in two months, you do not have cancer and the treatment is very successful and you are likely to never need any more treatment. My cells may well have gone from CIN1-3 very quickly - I wouldn't know was I only had 2 yearly smears as recommended but my GP was surprised that it had moved even that fast, it could mean something or nothing but the treatment is the same for CIN 3 regardles of the speed of development. I even had too extensive an affected area to treat with loop and had to have a cone biopsy and have still had absolutely no problems since.

and I have never heard of a problem with anyone diagnosed at CIN 3 stage (there may well be but I think it is exceptionaly rare)

I know somebody very close who works in cytology where they sceen smears.
I just thought I would give you girls some facts:
Hormones have EVERYTHING to do with the morphology of cells. Otherwise why would our body send them out if they don't affect anything? the zone affected is not called 'transition' but 'transformation' zone. It is true that a technical fault is not the wrong time of the month but more likely that the brush used to obtain cells was not in the vial used for processing. There is no such grade as 'inconclusive' but 'inadequate' which does not mean that there is any changes at all it just means there simply isn't enough cells to read the smear (they all could be fine cells but they would not want ot give you a negative as not enough cells have been sampled).
The exceptions prove the rule WRT the speed of increasing severity. Another 'rule' is that it takes 10 years from being 'infected' with HPV to get any changes yet there are 20yo's with abnormal cells. HPV is present in more like 80% of the population. There are around 5-6 strains that cause cervial changes and we know that these are totally different to the ones causing warts.
In this country smears should be offered every 4 years from the age of 25 unless there are symptoms or the woman has had an abnormal smear.
You WILL be 'infected' with the strain of HPV that caused the cervial changes forever. It is not local at all hence it does cause anal cancers. There is research ATM into HPV causing upper body cancers in particular those of the nail beds (WTF?? I know). You WILL still have the strain of HPV that caused the cervical changes after a loop procedure, it is simply treating the symptoms not the cause. In this country there are no treatments for DP/DH'. As you are still 'infected' you will not reinfect each other. Men are EXTREMELY unlikely to be affected by HPV (although with the research into upper body cancers maybe they are??).
HPV does not stay in a zone it just lives to live in that zone as the conditions are right for it. It CAN spread 'by itself'.
THe 5% of women who go on to have abnormal cells again after procedures is not necessarily due to reinfection. You do NOT have immunity just because someone took the abnormal cells away as the HPV is dormant in other celss. You are obviosuly not immune hence it caused problems in the first place although you could be immune to another strain or be infected by another strain. the procedure has not taken the HPV away in it's entirity as it is not localised.
The reason older women don't have the HPV vaccine is not becuase we are immune to a certain strain that caused some of the women with cervical changes to be immune to HPV, it is because we have been introduced to a number of strains since being sexually active and they don't know if we have or have not got the cervical changing ones. This is EXACTLY the reason you have more smears after an abnormality, not just to check it has definately all gone but because you still have HPV.

Rant over.

Wow, you are an angry little bunny, aren't you? Changing name and all, just to put us ignoramuses in our place.

So let me get this right: Your friend knows everything, our gynecologists know nothing. Or they are liars. Or we are idiots who can't remember what we've been told. Hmmm...

Let's see...

"Hormones have EVERYTHING to do with the morphology of cells. Otherwise why would our body send them out if they don't affect anything?"

That is a nonsensical statement. Hormones are useful for other things. Not for mutating our cells in a cancerous way.

"...the zone affected is not called 'transition' but 'transformation' zone."

In French it's called "la zone de transformation". I go to a gyne in France and had my operation in a French hospital. I speak French with my gynecologist. Writing here, I translated it to "transformation zone", which it turns out is not the terminology in UK. So shoot me.

"There is no such grade as 'inconclusive' but 'inadequate'"

Wrong again. Google to see a description of what an "inconclusive" smear result is. Or if you are feeling lazy, click here .

"Another 'rule' is that it takes 10 years from being 'infected' with HPV to get any changes"

'Any changes', as in going from clean smear to CIN I? That first step is supposed to take 10 years??? That is ridiculous, given that it is recommended to start smear tests three years after first intercourse, and then repeat them every couple of years, not once a decade. Everybody I know who had dysplasia went from clean smear test to CIN II or CIN III in 3-4 years. I personally went from clean to CIN III in less than 3 years.

Baby woke up, can't continue with the rest of your statements, although it has been a pleasure. We can continue later, if you wish. That would be especially nice if you develop a spine in the meanwhile and assume your original name. I suspect you will be more pleasant to talk to in your original persona.

That would be "la zone de TRANSITION" in French. That is why I spoke of "TRANSITION zone", thinking the same term would be used in English. Sorry for the confusion.