Having a test for HPVHPV stands for human papillomavirus. HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection which usually shows no symptoms and goes away by itself, but can sometimes cause serious illness. HPV is responsible for: almost all cases of genital warts and cervical cancer. 90% of anal cancers.https://www.cancer.org.au › what-is-hpv
Age 30-65 years
HPV test every 5 years. HPV/Pap cotest every 5 years. Pap test every 3 years.
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. Genital warts usually appear as a small bump or group of bumps in the genital area.
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.
Don't panic.
In most cases, your body is able to fight HPV on its own, and the virus will go away without causing any health problems in one or two years.
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.
And, again, as mentioned above, the virus can be cleared by your immune system, but that does not mean you will never test positive in the future. So a negative test one time, or having a history of normal pap smears your entire life, does not mean you are in the clear forever.
Most strains of HPV go away permanently without treatment. Because of this, it isn't uncommon to contract and clear the virus completely without ever knowing that you had it. HPV doesn't always cause symptoms, so the only way to be sure of your status is through regular testing.
The most common reason for a negative Pap test with a positive HPV result is that the patient has an HPV infection, but the infection is not causing any cellular abnormalities. Cellular abnormalities caused by HPV can be quite focal on the cervix, while the HPV infection can be more widespread.
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.
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.
Most of the time, cervical cell changes (abnormal cells) don't come back after treatment. However, sometimes they do and may need further treatment. These cell changes are also called persistent or recurrent cell changes.
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.
Anyone who has had sex can get HPV, even if it was only with only one person, but infections are more likely in people who have had many sex partners. Even if a person delays sexual activity until marriage, or only has one partner, they are still at risk of HPV infection if their partner has been exposed.
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.
HPV is a very common virus: About one quarter of women going through college will be exposed to HPV during their college years. In most cases, your body will effectively fight the HPV virus; most women with a positive HPV test will eventually have a negative test result.
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.
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.
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].
A person can have HPV for many years before it is detected. found on your HPV test does not cause genital warts. used all the time and the right way. Condoms may also lower your chances of getting other types of HPV or developing HPV-related diseases (genital warts and cervical cancer).
A positive test result doesn't mean a cancer diagnosis is inevitable—it simply means you're at a higher risk. We take positive HPV results and cellular abnormalities very seriously and conduct extensive testing and regular monitoring to make sure the virus doesn't result in more serious issues.
Can I have a false positive HPV test? A false-positive HPV test result could mean your test shows you have HPV, but not the type of HPV that causes cancer. Some studies indicate HPV cotests – Pap smears that test the same cells for cervical and HPV – have more false-positive results than primary high-risk HPV tests.
Options include freezing (cryosurgery), laser, surgical removal, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and cold knife conization.