Cervical Dysplasia

Human papillomavirus causes cervical dysplasia, a pre-cancerous disease of the cervix (HPV). Cervical dysplasia typically develops without symptoms, so it's crucial to visit your OB-GYN every year for a checkup and to get routine eye smears beyond the age of 21 to check for any abnormal cells.

Your doctor can advise a diagnostic procedure called a colposcopy to look at the cervix if abnormal cell activity is seen during a pap smear. Regular pap smears can monitor cell behavior in the case of mild cervical dysplasia and notify your doctor if the issue worsens and needs to be treated. A Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) to biopsy the cervical tissue may be advised for moderate to severe cases of cervical dysplasia.

To protect against the four most prevalent strains of the virus, patients between the ages of nine and 26 can receive the HPV vaccine. Before your child starts acting sexually, it is advised that they wait until they are between the ages of nine and eleven. Both boys and girls can have the vaccine.