The false negative rate of the HPV test in
A false-negative test result means you really do have an HPV infection, but the test indicates that you don't. This might cause a delay in appropriate follow-up tests or procedures.
If no HPV is found in the sample, it is called HPV negative. In this situation, the cell changes are very likely to go back to normal or stay the same. So, it is safe for you to go back to the routine screening programme and have smear tests every 3 to 5 years depending on your age.
Whether you are going to get a human papillomavirus (HPV) screening for the first time or you are waiting for results, you are likely wondering about the accuracy of an HPV test. Those getting tested can rest assured that the HPV test is very accurate.
The false negative rate of the HPV test in ASCUS/LSIL has been reported as 3.7% to 18.2% [14,15,16].
Unfortunately, there is no swab or blood test to test for HPV. A sexual health check at the doctors/clinic (routine check up) is not able to detect skin viruses, HPV or HSV (genital herpes). HPV can be diagnosed only if a person has visible warts on genital skin or if they have an abnormal cervical smear result.
Other things can cause cells to look abnormal, including irritation, some infections (such as a yeast infection), growths (such as polyps in the uterus), and changes in hormones that occur during pregnancy or menopause. Although these things may make cervical cells look abnormal, they are not related to cancer.
If you test negative for HPV, you are not likely to have cervical precancer, and you should have repeat HPV testing with or without a Pap test in three years. In most cases, the ASC-US will resolve during this time. Repeat Pap testing in one year – This is also an acceptable option.
You can have HPV without having any symptoms. HPV strains that cause genital warts can take approximately one to eight months to develop. Most warts appear as small, flat, flesh-coloured or cauliflower-like bumps.
There is no sure way to know when you got HPV or who gave it to you. A person can have HPV for many years before it is detected.
No screening test is 100% effective
an HPV infection or abnormal cells can sometimes be missed (a 'false negative' result) abnormal cells can develop and turn into cancer in between screening tests.
You can get HPV by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the virus. It is most commonly spread during vaginal or anal sex. It also spreads through close skin-to-skin touching during sex. A person with HPV can pass the infection to someone even when they have no signs or symptoms.
A large majority of cervical cancer (more than 95%) is due to the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract. Most sexually active women and men will be infected at some point in their lives, and some may be repeatedly infected.
Those who said they were depressed or believed they had high levels of stress also still had an active HPV infection. HPV usually clears up on its own, but this study is really the first to indicate a link between stress and persistent HPV infection.
Negative HPV test or cotest (HPV plus Pap test) results only reduce risk sufficiently to defer colposcopy if performed for screening purposes within the last 5 years. Colposcopy is still warranted if negative HPV test or cotest results occurred in the context of surveillance for a prior abnormal result.
A Pap test can also be used to screen for non-visible (subclinical) human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. The Pap test is not a specific test for HPV, although sometimes the results suggest that HPV might be present.
Pap tests, sometimes called Pap smears, look for abnormal cells on your cervix that can possibly lead to cervical cancer. Pap tests find cell changes caused by high-risk HPV, but they don't test for HPV itself. After your doctor sends your Pap test to the lab, the results will come back as “normal” or “abnormal.”
If you test positive for HPV and your Pap test is normal, your doctor will most likely recommend that you repeat the Pap and HPV screening exams in one year.
Because HPV is common and often goes away on its own, it's not always necessary to test for it.
These are: Low risk (HPV not detected): This means that no high-risk (cancer causing) HPV was found on your cervix. The chance of developing cervical cell changes that would need treatment in the next five years are very low. For that reason, you should wait for five years before having another cervical screening test.
A hysterectomy removes the cervix, which means that the risk of developing cervical cancer because of persistent HPV infection will essentially be eliminated. However, since HPV can also persist in cells of the vagina, a hysterectomy does not necessarily render you free of the virus.
HPV peaks in young women around age of sexual debut and declines in the late 20s and 30s. But women's risk for HPV is not over yet: There is sometimes a second peak around the age of menopause. Why?
HPV can clear up naturally – as there is no cure for the underlying HPV infection, the only way to get rid of HPV is to wait for the immune system to clear the virus naturally.
People can be infected with HPV without having sexual intercourse. The likelihood of exposure increases with the number of partners a person has, and HPV will often spread early in a relationship as the person is newly exposed to the virus.
Sex partners who have been together tend to share HPV, even when both partners do not show signs of HPV. Having HPV does not mean that a person or their partner is having sex outside the current relationship. There is no treatment to eliminate HPV itself. HPV is usually dealt with by your body's immune system.