• A normal (or “negative”) result means that no cell changes were found on your cervix. This is good news. But it does not remove the importance of getting Pap smears in the future. New cell changes can still form on your cervix.

Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance (ASC-US) is the most common abnormal Pap smear finding. It means that some cells do not look completely normal, but it is not clear if the changes are caused by HPV infection. 

Other things can cause cervical cells to look abnormal such as:

• Irritations
• Some infections (such as a yeast infection)
• Growths (such as polyps in the uterus)
• Changes in hormones that occur during pregnancy or menopause

Although these things may make cervical cells look abnormal, they are not related to cancer. Your health care provider will usually do an HPV test to see if the changes may be caused by an HPV infection. If the HPV test is positive, you may need additional follow-up tests.

Atypical Glandular Cells (AGC) means glandular cells were found that do not look normal. This can be a sign of a more serious problem involving the tissue inside the uterus, so your healthcare provider will likely refer you for a colposcopy.

Low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) are low-grade changes that are usually caused by an HPV infection. Your health care provider will likely ask you to come back for additional testing to make sure that there are not more serious (high-grade) changes.

Atypical Squamous Cells (ASC-US) are undetermined cells in which high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (ASC-H) cannot be excluded. This means some abnormal squamous cells were found that may be considered a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), although it is not certain. Your healthcare provider will likely refer you for a colposcopy.

High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (HSIL) are moderately or severely abnormal cervical cells that could become cancer in the future if not treated. Your healthcare provider will likely refer you for a colposcopy.

Adenocarcinoma In Situ (AIS) is an advanced lesion (area of abnormal growth) found in the glandular tissue of the uterus. AIS lesions may be referred to as precancer and may become cancer (cervical adenocarcinoma) if not treated. Your healthcare provider will likely have you return for a colposcopy.

Cervical Cancer Cells (squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma) is the finding of cancer cells. This finding is very rare for women who have been screened at regular intervals. If a biopsy shows that cervical cancer is present, your provider will order certain tests to find out if cancer cells have spread within the cervix or to other parts of the body.