Have you ever had an anal PAP?

Yes. I haven’t had a colonoscopy, but I would consider it less invasive, but approaching the same level of embarrassment and discomfort as one.

Funny enough, the doctor who performed mine is the nicest woman... so pleasant and peaceful and able to put her patients at such ease. I asked her why she chose his as her field of medicine and she said she knew how unpleasant and awkward it could be and knew she would be good at making people comfortable while pursuing such an important healthy issue.

Huh? You found a Q-tip in your ass embarrassing and uncomfortable? There's no stirrups or speculum involved.

And more invasive than a colonoscopy? I had a colonoscopy last year. They must have improved the shit out of 'em since then, no pun intended, if a Q-tip is more of an issue than a colonoscope.

Why bother with the test, because you don't get anal HPV unless someone's put something a lot larger than a Q-tip up there.

When I first went to my new doctor who has a large gay patient list, he asked me questions I had never been asked by a physician: Are you sexually active? Do you identify as straight, gay, bisexual, or other? Are to a top or bottom? He said that finding out this info would help him know what to look for in examination. Being a gay bottom, he asked if I would like to have an anal brushing to see if there were any abnormal cells, which could lead to anal cancer. Of course, I said," Yes."

I've had three anal brushings done. The first two discovered "squamous epithelial cells of unknown origin." That sounds pretty foreboding. As a result I had sigmoidoscopies to see if there were any cancerous cells. The results were negative. The third discovered nothing. My doctor said that the abnormal cells could be a result of something as benign as wiping too hard, but they needed the follow-up. Maybe the recent finding of nothing can be attributed to the fact that I haven't been fucked since February. But, if you are a bottom, it is advisable to go through this.

hurts. Like. Hell. For 20 seconds

Getting fucked or getting an anal pap, R4?

I wouldn't mind having an anal PAPI.

I wish I could get the HPV vaccine, but I"m too old

Pardon me cunty... I mean R2, I was describing what my doctor called an “anal pap” which he prescribed after the Q-tip Procedure you described came back as ASCUS. The longer procedure was done with a tube, camera, and involved some samples being shipped from inside my rectum to be biopsied.

What you called an anal pap sounds like something much more invasive and which, having had both, you didn’t mention when you wrote. A Pap smear, as it’s also called, is just that: a tissue swab - no cutting.

I’m sending my sympathy for your discomfort.

As a regular recipient of the Q-tip but no more, my experience has differed from yours.

R5 Both, when done correctly

I've had it a number of times. I keep close tabs on my body, and years ago mentioned to my primary doc that I had a little itching and bleeding from a very tiny, but identifiable spot on the anal verge. He did an examination of that area and sent me to a specialist. It was a precancerous lesion, called Bowen's disease. It was surgically removed. That was about 10-12 years ago. I've had numerous anal exams since then. The "gold standard" now is something called HRA - high resolution anoscopy. But an anal pap smear is also part of a routine visit to a a doctor who specialized in anal problems in gay men. I've had recurrent anal dysplasia since, and have finally gone through a regimen called fulguration - fulguration, also called electrofulguration, is a procedure to destroy and remove tissue (such as a malignant tumor) using a high-frequency electric current applied with a needlelike electrode. During fulguration, lesions are ablated (destroyed) by the use of high frequency current and is essentially similar to cauterization. I would say that an HRA is more painful than the anal pap smear, but both are temporary discomfort. Biopsy of suspicious areas is more painful still, and fulguration more painful than that. But all are temporary pain situations, and important for the peace of mind that precancerous anal areas are being watched and/or eliminated, making the likelihood of developing anal cancer much lower. In that regard, I think it's similar to having a regular colonoscopy. Why get a nasty horrible terminal cancer when there are safe tests and treatments available to get rid of precancerous lesions?

HPV and anal dysplasia are VERY common in gay men - something like 65% have it - and among gay men who are HIV+ , 95% have HPV and anal dysplasia - so this is something that should be checked for in gay men regularly, especially over the age of 40. Anal cancer is CURABLE - but only if discovered early. Not all anal dysplasia develops into anal cancer - but it's a good idea to know that you have it, and have someone keeping a regular eye on it. Gay men should not get all prissy about this, even though it's a part of the body that we don't like to discuss with doctors.

I had a colonoscopy. Does the doc also check the anal region during the colonoscopy?

Just for lesions or hemorrhoids, R 12. Not for dysplasia. My doctor told me that most gay men who are sexually active have genital herpes and HPV, even though they might never show any sign of occurrence. Having a doctor your trust with the info that you are gay and have bottomed is invaluable. If you don't have one, change doctors and have an anal pap test done. It could save your life.

R12 That is an excellent question. Given that straight women have anal sex and not all men will disclose having anal sex, perhaps it would be prudent to add HPV screenings to colonoscopies. The ass is already there.

Has Farah Fawcett commented?

oh happy thread! i have my pre-colonoscopy visit next week, and this is giving me new and exciting areas of opportunity for my hypochondria.

R7 They have started to increase the upper age limit for the HPV vaccine. Many cancer centers recommend adults age 27-45 talk to their doctor about the vaccine.

I've had more than one anal papi.

Anal paps once a year. I got the HPV vaccine at 40. Insurance paid for it.

Here's my anal PAP!

I got the vaccine even after I was told that I had anal warts. I figured it might not hurt to have it and prevent cancer.