Got an abnormal pap smear;dont know what to do.
Hello all! I don’t normally post, but I’m honestly in so much shock right now. I haven’t been sexually active in months, but I just tested positive for HPV-16. (I know that doesn’t necessarily matter because I could’ve had it for years and not known.)
BUT THAT’S MY PROBLEM.
I’ve had various symptoms for years: heavy periods, debilitating cramps, bleeding during and after sex (with my previous boyfriend of 4 years), and not just a little blood either, but a lot, and dark red. I would be in so much pain that I couldn’t walk sometimes. I would cry during sex or even days after because I was hurting so badly.
I also have extreme bloating EVERY DAY. (I would attach photos, but I want to stay anonymous.) Just know my mom has made me take about a million pregnancy tests over the years because I constantly look like I have a baby bump. I don’t even feel comfortable wearing tight clothes anymore because of my stomach. I genuinely look pregnant almost everyday.
It’s awful. I’m always in pain and always bloated.
I’ve talked to so many doctors and gynecologists, but they all say the same things: “go on birth control,” “fix your diet,” etc. LIKE NO. I KNOW THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME.
Even after asking for Pap smears, they always told me no because I wasn’t 21 yet. Meanwhile, I’ve had these symptoms since I was around 16, but they always dismissed it as “just being a woman.”
So now here I am, finally 21, with an abnormal Pap smear that potentially could’ve been abnormal for years.
Should I be worried that I could possibly have cervical cancer with all of these symptoms? I’m scared. I’m young. Am I overthinking or overreacting? Please help. I really need advice from my fellow ladies 😔