Hi everyone am new here and looking for some shared experience
I have my smear in December and the results for HPV came back positive for high risk HPV but the sample was inconclusive for cells so I need to do another smear test. My last smear test was back in 2018 as I get one every 3 years and there were no abnormalities so this has come as a bit of a shock and my first though is"im going to die of cancer now". I've been with my husband for 8 years so the HPV has been there for quite a long time! This is the first smear test I have had that has tested for HPV.
I do have some slight bleeding after sex and tenderness in my stomach but originally put it down to inflammation and my PCOS. Now I am panicking and I can't stop crying. We have just started trying for our 3rd and final baby.
My question is what can I do about the HPV? If I have it then surely he has it too and we just will keep reinfecting each other and the longer the HPV is in my body the more likely it will develop into cancerous cells?
Any advice or shared experience welcome. I didn't really understand what HPV was when the nurse said they now test for it and I had never heard of it before and I am too old for the HPV injection
Hello Ginger90 and welcome to the group.
I hope I can give you a little reassurance and perspective about HPV, although I appreciate it can be a shock to be told you have it if you don’t know much about it.
Almost every person who has ever been sexually active will have come across the HPV virus, and most will never know they carry it. It is unbelievably common.
High risk HPV can cause cervical cell changes, but this is not the same for everyone-for some people it will never cause any changes at all. The virus can be either active or dormant, but can’t be “cured”. The body’s immune system can clear it in the sense of keeping it dormant and not doing any damage. All you can really do is try to keep your immune system as strong as possible with a healthy diet, exercise, not smoking.
Your partner will likely have the virus but there is no test for men. You don’t reinfect each other, as once you have it, you always have it.
It is not true to say that the longer you have the virus, the more likely you are to have cancerous cells. HPV can be persistent, but it doesn’t mean you would ever get cancer. You may not have any abnormal cells at your next test, or you may. But these abnormal cells are NOT cancer. The point of the screening programme is to identify any abnormal cells long before they become cancer and treat/remove them. Having HPV doesn’t stop you trying for a baby or successfully carrying a baby.
You just need to make sure to attend your appointments and check ups to keep on top of anything before so it doesn’t become an issue.
I hope this has helped a little, but please feel free to ask more questions if you’d like. xx
Hi Ginger90
I’m so sorry I took so long to reply to you earlier-I’ve been having awful problems trying to post replies today but it seems to be working now.
The only things you can do in relation to HPV is work on keeping yourself as healthy as possible to give your immune system the best chance possible of putting the virus into dormancy. It can rear its head when we’re stressed and low and not taking enough care of ourselves. I know a lot of ladies believe it’s very helpful to take a women’s health multi vitamin daily, so there’s no harm in doing that to help yourself.
Try not to focus on worst case scenario, which is what you will see if you start consulting doctor google! Jade Goody had advanced cervical cancer, and yes, she sadly passed away, but that doesn’t happen to everyone. You don’t have a cancer diagnosis, so it’s way too early to be thinking too far ahead. Thousands of women survive cervical cancer every year, just as people do for other cancers. Don’t focus on the unfortunate ones who don’t make it.
Focus on taking good care of yourself, and try not to worry or overthink too much at this point-it honestly is such a waste of energy. I learned that lesson over the last few years dealing with this cancer. xx
I think there’s a general lack of knowledge and education around HPV which is ridiculous as it’s the most commonly sexually transmitted infection in the world. I can understand it will have impacted on you to find you have it, but most people do, and keeping up with your smear tests makes sure that any cell changes are picked up at a stage long before they become cancer. Cervical cancer typically takes years to develop, so the screening programme is there to ensure we have the best chance of preventing it. xx
