HPV 16, HPV 58, and HPV 31, all from species group alpha 9, were the most persistent types; however, other high-risk HPV types that are detected rarely in cancer cases were also likely to persist.
Most cases of HPV infection tend to be cleared by the immune system without intervention 1–2 years post-exposure; it is thought that persistent infection is most likely due to a lack of HPV-specific T-cell immunity [74].
In most cases (9 out of 10), HPV goes away on its own within two years without health problems. But when HPV does not go away, it can cause health problems like genital warts and 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.
High-risk HPV types
Infection with HPV is very common. In most people, the body is able to clear the infection on its own. But sometimes, the infection doesn't go away.
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.
Options include freezing (cryosurgery), laser, surgical removal, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and cold knife conization.
It's possible. In most cases, your immune system will eventually get rid of an HPV infection within 2 years. But HPV can stay in our bodies – sometimes without us knowing about it, as it is not detected with a test. This is called dormant or clinically insignificant HPV.
Infection with HPVs is usually cleared by the immune system within a couple of years. Persistently infected cells can regress, but over time can progress to invasive cancer.
You're contagious for as long as you have the virus — regardless of whether or not you have symptoms. For example, even if your genital warts have disappeared, you can still spread the HPV that caused them if the virus is still in your body. Once your immune system destroys the virus, you're no longer contagious.
Overall, an estimated 67% of infections resolve by 12 months, although the rate of resolution probably varies between age groups and by HPV type. After viral clearance (i.e. oncogenic HPV is no longer detected), women are at very low risk of significant cervical disease for the next 5 years.
There is no cure for the virus (HPV) itself. There are treatments for the health problems that HPV can cause, such as genital warts, cervical changes, and cervical cancer.
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.
If you're over 30, your body can still clear HPV, but it's less likely at this point. Your doctor may want to perform more testing, like a Pap (if you didn't get one with your HPV test) to see if you also have abnormal cervical cell changes in addition to a positive HPV test.
HPV spreads through sexual contact and is very common in young people — frequently, the test results will be positive. However, HPV infections often clear on their own within a year or two. Cervical changes that lead to cancer usually take several years — often 10 years or more — to develop.
If the HPV test is negative, you can return to your regular screening schedule. If the HPV test is positive, you should repeat the Pap test in one year.
Depending on the type of HPV that you have, the virus can linger in your body for years. In most cases, your body can produce antibodies against the virus and clear the virus within one to two years. Most strains of HPV go away permanently without treatment.
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.
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.
High-risk HPV doesn't have symptoms
Unfortunately, most people who have a high-risk type of. 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.
But women's risk for HPV is not over yet: There is sometimes a second peak around the age of menopause. Why? A study released early in 2013 of women 35 to 60 years old found that HPV in women at or after menopause may represent an infection acquired years ago.
The majority of HPV infections are cleared by the immune system within 2 years, defined as an absence of HPV DNA detection on follow-up serial swabs after detection of the initial infection [2].
HPV is thought to be the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world. Almost every person will have HPV at some point in their lives. There are over 150 types of HPV that live on the body and only a small number of types (ie. high-risk HPV) cause problems by changing cells from normal to abnormal.
HPV positive: no abnormal cells
If none are found, your result will say you have HPV , but no abnormal cells. We will ask you to come for screening again sooner than usual (your result letter will explain when). This is so we can check if your immune system has got rid of the HPV (this happens in most cases).