QuestionI'm a 19 yr old female. I had a pap smear and blood test from my general practitioner last week. The nurse called back with the results and said I had an irritated cervix from sexual activity but my other resulst were normal. However, all I find online is that it is more commonly a bacterial infection or STDs. Is it plausable to be from sexual activity? My boyfriend is in the military and we only see eachother every couple of months, so I'm not sure how it would still be inflamed. Also, I have molluscum contagiosum, is it possible that this virus can cause cervical information? Do pap smears test for bacterial infections? I am always skeptical, I've been wronly diagnosed many a time.
AnswerI think you're wise to be skeptical. I don't know what the nurse is talking about to have an irritated cervix from sexual activity. It's not unusual to have a somewhat reddened cervix, but usually sexual activity has nothing to do with it.
I don't believe molluscum contagiosum will have any effect on the cervix.
Pap smears are not very good for diagnosing infections. They can often see some inflammatory cells on the Pap smear, but that's not something that needs treatment unless it's obscuring the reading of the Pap smear.
