9 months postpartum, breastfeeding and just tested HPV-16 positive with abnormal Pap — anyone else?
I’m 9 months postpartum with my second baby and still breastfeeding. I recently had my first cervical screening/Pap and was completely caught off guard by the results.
I tested positive for HPV-16 and my cytology came back ASC-H (atypical squamous cells — cannot exclude a high-grade lesion). I’ve been referred for a colposcopy.
I’ve been with the same partner for 9 years, so initially I was really confused about the HPV result, but I’ve since learned that HPV can remain dormant/undetectable for years and become detectable again later.
I’m obviously anxious about the ASC-H result and wondering whether being postpartum and breastfeeding could have affected how my cervical cells looked. I understand that low estrogen, hormonal changes, inflammation, etc. can sometimes affect cervical cytology, but I also know HPV-16 needs to be taken seriously and followed up.
Has anyone else had an abnormal Pap/HPV result while postpartum or breastfeeding?
What did your colposcopy/biopsy end up showing? Did anyone have ASC-H that turned out to be normal or only mild changes? If they found CIN2/CIN3, what happened next?
I’d really appreciate hearing other moms’ experiences while I wait for my colposcopy. The waiting and uncertainty are honestly the hardest part right now. ❤️