Q: I have been diagnosed by my GYN with dysplasia. Is it curable and will I have it for the rest of my life? I am a 15-year-old female.

A: "Dysplasia" is a scary-sounding word, isn't it? We're glad you wrote to ask about it. We don't have enough information about you to give complete answers to your questions, but here it is in a nutshell: yes, dysplasia is curable; and no, it's very unlikely that you'll have it for the rest of your life.

Explanation: Dysplasia refers to abnormal-appearing cells that are found on a "Pap" test that is done during an internal pelvic examination. If the cells are only slightly abnormal, the condition is called mild dysplasia. More severe changes are referred to as moderate or severe dysplasia. Most likely, your gynecologist has used a special microscope (colposcope) to take a tissue sample from your cervix. He or she may also have tested the cervical cells for human papilloma virus (HPV), which is a common cause of dysplasia.

It's most likely that you have mild dysplasia. Most of the time, the body "cures" mild dysplasia all by itself, usually in a matter of months. Sometimes, this doesn't happen, and occasionally the cells become more abnormal as time goes on. In these cases, the dysplasia does need to be treated.

Please allow us to make a few recommendations. These are: Be sure to keep your follow-up appointments with your gynecologist. It is really important to keep track of what is happening with those cervical cells. Many people find it helpful to write down a list of questions they want to ask their doctor.

If you smoke or chew tobacco, stop. Smoking impairs self-healing and makes severe dysplasia more likely. You can find information about quitting smoking on Teengrowth, click here. You can also find information at the American Lung Association www.lungusa.org or the American Cancer Society www.cancer.org. Or just make an appointment with your doctor to talk about quitting.

Use a condom whenever you have sex. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease.

To have TeenGrowth's board of physicians answer your health question, visit the Web site (http://www.teengrowth.com) or e-mail feedback@teengrowth.com. TeenGrowth is a non-commercial Internet site that focuses exclusively on the educational health issues of adolescents.