This comprehensive guide for the more than 4 million women each year who experience abnormal Pap smears discusses the relationship of cervical cancer to infection by the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) and underscores how crucial Pap smears are for cervical cancer prevention. The book covers the meaning of different Pap-smear diagnoses, ranging from atypical to full-blown cervical cancer. Simple and clear line drawings illustrate pertinent female anatomy and normal-to-abnormal cell changes.
Since suboptimal tests can produce misleading results, tips are provided to help women improve their chances of receiving the most accurate Pap smear. This updated edition details the most recent developments in HPV testing, as well as the new liquid-based Pap test. Lastly, the future of Pap smears and cervical-cancer prevention is explored, with special emphasis on the recently approved HPV vaccine.
Vital to the book are interspersed personal interviews, which provide firsthand information on women's feelings about their abnormal Pap smears as well as their experiences with cervical disease. These personal vignettes offer insights into the social and emotional effects that often result from an abnormal Pap smear.
The first edition was chosen by Nurse Practitioner and by Library Journal as one of the best books of the year. Now fully updated, this clearly written, very approachable guide fills a vital consumer-health need.

Comprehensive and practice-oriented, the fully updated 3rd Edition of this easy-to-use text covers the full range of obstetric and gynecologic pathology, including information on treatment and patient management. Written largely by the pathology and clinical faculty at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital, it covers the most up-to-date information available in the field, including molecular genetics and diagnostics. Drs. Christopher P. Crum and Marisa R. Nucci are joined by new editors Scott R. Granter, Brooke E. Howitt, Mana M. Parast, and Theonia K. Boyd, to provide complete, beautifully illustrated coverage of both neoplastic and non-neoplastic disorders of the female genital system, ideal for improving pathological diagnosis. Provides distinct diagnostic/differential diagnostic criteria for any potential obstetric/gynecologic specimen encountered in practice. Features more than 2,250 full-color images, key points at the end of each chapter, and an appendix with commonly used ICD-10 codes Covers topics not often found in gynecologic pathology textbooks, such as vulvodynia, and diseases of the anus. Approaches topics from a practice-oriented point of view, beginning with clinical presentation and progressing through histopathology, differential diagnosis, and treatment for each disorder. Emphasizes new practice issues and their biologic basis including approaches to vulvar, cervical and endometrial precursors as well as the underpinnings of cervical, endometrial and ovarian cancer. A comprehensive look at mesenchymal neoplasia, including not only lower genital tract and uterus but also the retroperitoneum. Expert ConsultT eBook version included with purchase. This enhanced eBook experience allows you to search all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.