Anal dysplasia is hidden in the many hard-to-see folds in the anal canal, Kaufman said. These cell clumps are usually silent or cause mild symptoms such as bleeding, so they are often overlooked or confused with hemorrhoids.
Unlike other routine medical examinations, many patients skip screening for anal dysplasia due to stigma or fear.
“People are generally uncomfortable about their anal health,” Kaufman says.
He reassures patients that anoscopy is not painful. The test only takes about 10 to 15 minutes and you will only feel a slight feeling of pressure. Numbing creams and sedatives are used to ease the process.
This test is different from a colonoscopy, which can be trippy. Anoscopy and colonoscopy each look at different conditions, and anoscopy zooms in to view the anal cells.
According to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 79,100 people are living with anal cancer, and new cases and deaths are increasing, with approximately 9,760 people expected to be diagnosed with anal cancer in 2023. Gay and bisexual men are 20 times more likely to get cancer, which is known as the National LGBT Cancer. Precautions on the network, and the risk of an HIV-positive person is twice as high as him.
HPV, another major risk factor for anal cancer, eventually affects nearly all sexually active people. However, for certain communities, this virus is more dangerous and can cause anal dysplasia and even cancer.
Men who have sex with men, transgender women, and people with suppressed immune systems should start getting anoscopy every year starting at age 35, especially if they smoke. Kaufman recommends that people with HIV start treatment younger, at age 25, because HIV and HPV work together to invade tissues.
Women who have had cervical or vulvar precancers, cancers, or perianal warts in the past should also consider annual pap smears.