Do I need a colposcopy if I have HPV?

If you test positive for HPV 16/18, you will need to have a colposcopy. If you test positive for HPV (but did not have genotyping performed or had genotyping and tested negative for 16/18), you will likely have a colposcopy.

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Should I be worried about HPV positive?

A positive test result means that you have a type of high-risk HPV that's linked to cervical cancer. It doesn't mean that you have cervical cancer now, but it's a warning sign that cervical cancer could develop in the future.

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Can you see HPV during colposcopy?

A colposcopy is a test to take a closer look at your cervix. The cervix is the opening to your womb from your vagina. A colposcopy is often done if cervical screening finds changes to your cells that are caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). These changed cells can turn into cervical cancer cells.

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Can you get your cervix removed if you have HPV?

Unfortunately, once you have been infected with HPV, there is no treatment that can cure it or eliminate the virus from your system. A hysterectomy removes the cervix, which means that the risk of developing cervical cancer because of persistent HPV infection will essentially be eliminated.

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Should I be worried if I need a colposcopy?

Try not to worry

If you're referred for a colposcopy after an abnormal cervical screening test, you shouldn't assume you have cervical cancer. Less than 1 in 1,000 women referred for a colposcopy are found to have cervical cancer that requires immediate treatment.

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Danielle Was Diagnosed With HPV and Shares Her Story in Preventing Cervical Cancer

17 related questions found

When do doctors recommend colposcopy?

Your doctor may recommend colposcopy if a Pap test or pelvic exam revealed abnormalities. Colposcopy can be used to diagnose: Genital warts. Inflammation of the cervix (cervicitis)

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Why would a doctor recommend a colposcopy?

A colposcopy is used to find cancerous cells or abnormal cells that can become cancerous in the cervix, vagina, or vulva. These abnormal cells are sometimes called “precancerous tissue.” A colposcopy also looks for other health conditions, such as genital warts or noncancerous growths called polyps.

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How long does it take for HPV to turn into cervical dysplasia?

HPV-related cancers often take years to develop after getting an HPV infection. Cervical cancer usually develops over 10 or more years. There can be a long interval between being infected with HPV, the development of abnormal cells on the cervix and the development of cervical cancer.

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What happens if you have HPV on your cervix?

HPV can cause cervical and other cancers, including cancer of the vulva, vagina, penis, or anus. It can also cause cancer in the back of the throat (called oropharyngeal cancer). This can include the base of the tongue and tonsils. Cancer often takes years, even decades, to develop after a person gets HPV.

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Should I get a hysterectomy if I have high risk HPV?

It is important to counsel these patients that surgery is not a treatment for high-risk HPV infection, which is the underlying etiology of their disease. With that etiology, HPV infection is likely to persist after hysterectomy and they may develop vaginal or vulvar dysplasia.

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What do I do if I test positive for high risk HPV?

If you got a positive HPV test and your Pap test was abnormal, your doctor will probably follow up with a colposcopy. Try to see a physician who specializes in this procedure. During a colposcopy, your doctor will look more closely at the cervix, vagina or vulva with a special microscope called a colposcope.

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Do I need a colposcopy if I have HPV but normal Pap?

If you test positive for HPV 16/18, you will need to have a colposcopy. If you test positive for HPV (but did not have genotyping performed or had genotyping and tested negative for 16/18), you will likely have a colposcopy.

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How common is HPV on cervix?

HPV is a very common virus. In fact, about eight out of 10 women will have had HPV at some point in time by the age of 50. Myth: A regular Pap test is enough to protect women against cervical cancer. Fact: A Pap test alone is not enough to protect women against cervical cancer.

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Why is my body not clearing HPV?

Around 90% of HPV infections clear within 2 years. For a small number of women and people with a cervix, their immune system will not be able to get rid of HPV. This is called a persistent infection. A persistent HPV infection causes the cells of the cervix to change.

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What percentage of HPV becomes cancerous?

About 10% of women with HPV infection on their cervix will develop long-lasting HPV infections that put them at risk for cervical cancer. Similarly, when high-risk HPV lingers and infects the cells of the vulva, vagina, penis, or anus, it can cause cell changes called precancers.

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How do you know if HPV is serious?

High-risk HPV doesn't have symptoms

Unfortunately, most people who have a high-risk type of HPV will never show any signs of the infection until it's already caused serious health problems. That's why regular checkups are so important — testing is the only way to know for sure if you're at risk for cancer from HPV.

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Can HPV make you feel unwell?

HPV usually doesn't make you feel sick or cause any symptoms. Your immune system can fight off the infection before you ever know you have it, but you could still spread it to others before that happens. If you do get symptoms, the most common signs of HPV are genital warts.

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Does HPV always progress?

HPV Very Rarely Becomes Cervical Cancer

For 90 percent of women with HPV, the condition will clear up on its own within two years. Only a small number of women who have one of the HPV strains that cause cervical cancer will ever actually develop the disease.

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What is the difference between cervical dysplasia and HPV?

Cervical dysplasia is usually caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) and is found when a Pap test or cervical biopsy is done. It can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how abnormal the cells look under a microscope and how much of the cervical tissue is affected.

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How long does it take for HPV to turn into CIN?

The estimated interval between the recorded onset of persistent HR-HPV infection and the development of CIN was 4–70 months (Table 1). Categorical analysis was carried out which included single HR-HPV infection, co-infection, and the most prevalent HR-HPV types.

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Is a colposcopy urgent?

Deciding how long to wait before scheduling the colposcopy is an issue best addressed by your treating gynecologist. Colposcopy is not a follow-up test that typically needs to be done the moment an abnormal pap is identified, but it is important not to let this go either.

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What is the current criteria for referral to colposcopy?

Referral guidelines for individuals with symptoms or if the appearance of the cervix is suspicious. An individual must be referred to colposcopy and should be seen within 2 weeks of referral (≥93% of cases) if the appearance of the cervix is suspicious or they have symptoms consistent with cervical cancer.

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What does a negative colposcopy mean?

Normal. A normal (or “negative”) result means that no cell changes were found on your cervix. This is good news.

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How quick is urgent colposcopy?

A colposcopy is usually carried out in a hospital or clinic. It should usually take 15 to 20 minutes to have your colposcopy and you should be able to go home afterwards. But you might be at the hospital for several hours from getting there to going home.

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