A Study of 10 296 Pediatric and Adolescent Papanicolaou Smear Diagnoses in Northern New England

Abstract

Because the development of SIL and hence cervical cancer is causally related to sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, this high rate of abnormal Pap smear results of both an infectious and precancerous nature in this population may reflect a high level of sexual activity among adolescent girls. These data reinforce the importance of implementing early cervical Pap smear screening in the sexually active pediatric and adolescent population.