What tyoes of HPV cause what? Do they all show abnormal cells on a pap?

Ok i had a pap smear done and then a week later they told me I had abnormal cells and hpv or flat warts. My understanding is that i have a different type of hpv than the tyoe that causes cancer and genital warts, but she also called it flat warts which i have never heard of. But if i only have the type that causes flat warts on hands and feet then why do i have abnormal cells, can any abnormal cells cause cancer?

Also my dr told me to go see a gynocologist and get gardasil injections. Why would i need the injections if i already have hpv?

Your primary care physician can give you Gardasil. You don't have to go to a gynecologist for it. It won't cure the HPV you already have, but it can protect you from other strains you haven't come in contact with yet. Gardasil protects against strains 6, 11, 16 and 18, which account for the vast majority of all cervical cancer and genital warts cases.

Low-risk HPV causes genital warts. Your doctor probably called them flat warts because they look flat. Not all genital warts look the same, and though they are genital warts, they may either appear small and scattered, dry and rough on top, rounded, clustery or raised with a flat top.

High-risk HPV causes cervical cell abnormalities that can develop into cancers. Pap smears check for cervical cell changes, and if they find anything unusual, they can follow and also check for the presence of HPV (sometimes abnormal cells aren't caused by HPV).

There are many strains of HPV. Some cause warts on hands and feet; others cause genital warts. Flat warts are a type of genital wart. Certain types of HPV are typically associated with genital warts while others are associated with cellular changes, but this doesn't mean both symptoms can't occur with one strain.

It's also important to note that you could be infected with multiple strains at one time, so this could account for you experiencing both symptoms.

Doctors will want to monitor any abnormal cellular changes in the cervix, because any such changes could theoretically become cancerous. However, most HPV-related cellular changes go away on their own without any treatment. The CDC says that about 10% of women with the high-risk types of HPV are at risk for changes that could lead to cervical cancer. Usually, the doctor will recommend more frequent paps to monitor changes. Cervical cancer is very slow-developing and the cellular changes go through several stages before being considered truly pre-cancerous. That's why it's so important to be diligent about your follow-ups. If you stay on top of things, you'll most likely catch any problem in time to treat it.