How common are abnormal pap smear results?
It all depends on the laboratory and also the type of Pap smear that’s being done. If it’s a liquid based Pap smear where you get a brush, you throw the whole brush into a fluid filled jar, and you send the whole thing to the laboratory. Some studies show that your pickup rate for abnormalities are higher. In general, Pap smears can only pick up about 70 maybe up to 80% of abnormalities that are there. Maybe even less, depending on how long it takes between the time that the Pap smear’s done and by the time the Pap smear is read. In general, 5 to 10% of all Pap smears can be called or read as abnormal, and then usually depending on what the abnormality is, and what they call it, then the percentages vary.
