Abnormal cervical smears in adolescents: a ten-year comparative study of demographic criteria and management

OBJECTIVE: Comparison of the demographic criteria and management of adolescents and other age groups referred to a colposcopy clinic with abnormal smears. METHODS: Retrospective study of newly referred cases to a colposcopy clinic in a UK district general hospital between 1996 and 2005. RESULTS: Most of the sociodemographic and sexual factors associated with HPV infection and cervical cancer were more obvious among adolescents than older women. There was a comparable incidence of high-grade cervical lesions in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: A policy is needed to deal with adolescents who are exposed to all the risk factors associated with the development of HPV infection and high-grade cervical lesions. This has become an important issue for discussion recently in the UK after raising the age of onset of cervical screening to 25.