Emma (25) has PAP 4: ‘My world was turned upside down’
Emma was fifteen when she started with her birth control pill, but she quickly suffered from side effects. “I had mood swings all the time and gained some weight because of the pill. When you’re fifteen that means some extra meat on the hips, which is obviously the end of the world. Together with my parents and my GP I decided to switch to the Mirena IUD. For me, that was a good solution. The extra weight disappeared like snow in the sun, I was no longer a ‘blubbering mess’, and my menstruation stayed away.”
‘It’s about time we discuss our personal health with each other’
It was not until years later, in the summer of 2017, that Emma’s flow started again. “At first, I thought that was what was supposed to happen. My friends, who also have an IUD, told me that they also had breakthrough bleedings sometimes. I didn’t know back then that these breakthrough bleedings could be a symptom of the human papillomavirus, also known as HPV. I believe that it’s about time we as women start to discuss our personal health with each other. It’s ridiculous that I didn’t know how to talk about my PAP 4 (positive test) results before. Ignorance is bliss, until it cannot be ignored anymore. HPV can happen to anyone and by sharing our stories with each other, we create more awareness about the virus. Besides that, sex education in high school should be more than only learning how to put a condom on a banana. More attention should be paid to self care and to the way our reproductive system works.”
‘My world was turned upside down’
But the breakthrough bleedings didn’t stop and Emma’s relationship had just ended, so she decided to go see her GP for a check-up. “I can count myself lucky with my GP. About six months prior I had also been tested for HPV, but the results showed that I had PAP 2 (HPV with no abnormal cells). This is a variant which is not harmful. The second time that I got tested I received less positive news. The Pap revealed that I had PAP 3 (HPV positive with abnormal cells). Immediately, I received a referral to a gynecologist and not even three weeks later I had a meeting. A day after my gynecologist visit the phone rang and I was told that they had found PAP 4 (severe abnormal cells) in my cervix. I was told that it would be a wise decision to have those abnormal cells removed the very next day. My world was turned upside down. Especially so, as I was told that with PAP 4 there was a good chance I could get cervical cancer. I had to get the abnormal cells removed by means of a Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP).”
Are you interested in knowing what LEEP is? Read this article in which it is explained.
‘I felt like an ashtray’
“The treatment at the gynecologist’s was a horrible experience. The LEEP treatment had nothing to do with it. The surgery doesn’t hurt, I just had bad luck with my male gynecologist who didn’t feel it was necessary to talk me through the surgery. I had no idea what exactly was happening with my uterus. Because of the smoke that was coming out of my vagina - caused by the cauterization of my wounds - I felt like an ashtray. I want to urge women who are planning to go see the GP or the gynecologist to go and find a doctor who you can trust and feel comfortable with, and to always bring someone with you. Even if it’s just a check up, because when you get bad news - which happened to me - it’s nice to be able to have someone whose hand you can hold.”
‘It’s ridiculous that you have to have an untrustworthy ex to figure out you need to take care of yourself’
Emma’s recovery took six weeks in total. “The pain I had can be compared to heavy period cramps. I was bleeding a lot too, but not too much that I had to drop everything. Because the doctors couldn’t say with certainty that they had removed everything, I had to come for a check up after six weeks. The gynecologist took a biopsy where they removed some tissue with some kind of forceps to check whether or not I still had abnormal cells. Unfortunately, this was the case and so I had to undergo the LEEP procedure a second time.”
Because of the abnormal cells surrounding Emma’s uterus she had to go for a check up once every three months at the gynecologist’s. Now it’s only once every six months. “It might sound like a lot, but I think it’s nice that they keep such a close eye.”
‘80% of women will get the HPV virus’
“The idea of getting checked out was a combination of my intuition and the fact that my relationship had just ended. I didn’t trust my ex and so I just wanted to get a full check up. It’s ridiculous that you have to have an untrustworthy ex to figure out you need to take care of yourself. If you suffer from your ankle for a while, you also go to the doctor to see what's wrong, right? 80% of women will get the HPV virus. I didn’t know that until after I was part of the medical whirlwind. It is so important to know what is going on in our body.”
“If you ask me, this is the responsibility of both the doctors and the schools. As a GP you can set up the initiative to invite all sixteen-year-old patients every six months to discuss birth control, pap smears, etc. for example. Besides that, our sex education in high school should be more than only learning how to put a condom on a banana. I think that more attention should be paid to self care and to the way our reproductive system works. Girls as well as boys have to learn that discharge or abnormalities are not dirty or weird, but that they are part of our body. If we want to create a society based on equality, it is important that we are taught from when we are young how to take care of our body and to learn about conditions such as this one. Worst case scenario I could have lost my uterus, but thank god that isn’t the case.”
Want to know more about PAP results? Read this article in which it is explained.
Editor’s note: The story of Emma is a personal story and is meant to spread awareness. These stories are not checked by our Cycle experts.
