What does HPV positive mean?

A positive HPV test means you do have an HPV type that may be linked to cervical cancer. This does not mean you have cervical cancer now. But it could be a warning. The specific HPV type may be identified to determine the next step.

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Should I worry if I tested positive for HPV?

Follow-up tests and procedures after an abnormal Pap test (Pap smear) or HPV test. Keep in mind that most people with abnormal cervical screening test results do not have cancer. However, if you have an abnormal test result, it's important to get the follow-up care that your health care provider recommends.

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Why do you get HPV positive?

HPV is easily spread from sexual skin-to-skin contact with someone who has it. You get it when your vulva, vagina, cervix, penis, or anus touches someone else's genitals or mouth and throat — usually during sex. HPV can be spread even if no one cums, and even if a penis doesn't go inside the vagina/anus/mouth.

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Can HPV turn into cancer?

When the body's immune system can't get rid of an HPV infection with oncogenic HPV types, it can linger over time and turn normal cells into abnormal cells and then cancer. About 10% of women with HPV infection on their cervix will develop long-lasting HPV infections that put them at risk for cervical cancer.

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Is HPV contagious for life?

Is HPV contagious for life? Not necessarily. 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.

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Danielle Sepulveres Part 2 of 2, But What’s a Positive HPV Test Mean Anyway?

37 related questions found

Is my partner cheating if I have 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. HPV does not stop you having a normal sex life.

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How did I get HPV if I am married?

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.

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How serious is HPV?

Most HPV infections go away on their own and don't cause any health problems. However, if HPV does not go away, it can cause health problems like genital warts. It also can cause certain kinds of cancer. We do not know why HPV causes health problems in some people and not others.

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What does HPV look like on a woman?

The most common are small, hard sores called warts, but not everyone who has HPV gets them. They may be raised, flat, or shaped like a cauliflower, and they can be different sizes. They can show up on your genital area or other places, depending on the type of the virus you have. These warts often go away on their own.

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Can a woman give a man HPV?

Yes, human papillomavirus (HPV) can be transmitted from a woman to man and vice versa. HPV can affect anybody who has sex with an infected person. This disease can easily spread through all kinds of sexual activities including anal, oral or vaginal sex or through other forms of close skin-to-skin contact during sex.

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How do you treat HPV positive people?

There is no treatment for the virus itself. However, there are treatments for the health problems that HPV can cause: Genital warts can be treated by your healthcare provider or with prescription medication. If left untreated, genital warts may go away, stay the same, or grow in size or number.

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What are the symptoms of HPV positive?

Symptoms of human papillomavirus (HPV)

HPV does not usually cause any symptoms. Most people who have it do not realise and do not have any problems. But sometimes the virus can cause painless growths or lumps around your vagina, penis or anus (genital warts).

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Can HPV make you tired?

Results. Ninety-four newly diagnosed patients were enrolled; 53% had HPV-related tumors. Patients with HPV-unrelated tumors had higher fatigue and higher CRP, sTNFR2, and IL-6 over time, especially at baseline and 3 months post-IMRT compared to those with HPV-related tumors (all p<0.05).

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Should you tell someone they have HPV?

HPV can stay in the body for 10-20 years. Finding out you have HPV doesn't mean you or your partner have been unfaithful. It's your decision whether or not to tell your partner you have HPV.

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How often do you need a Pap smear with HPV?

Updated cervical cancer screening guidelines from ACS recommend starting screening at age 25 with an HPV test and having HPV testing every 5 years through age 65. However, testing with an HPV/Pap cotest every 5 years or with a Pap test every 3 years is still acceptable.

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How do you clear HPV?

Options include freezing (cryosurgery), laser, surgical removal, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and cold knife conization.

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What are three symptoms of HPV?

Most people with HPV — no matter what their gender is — don't have any symptoms. Sometimes HPV can cause warts on your penis or vulva and around your anus. Genital warts can cause irritation and discomfort, and you can pass the HPV that caused them to other people.

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How do I know if my HPV is bad?

Results
  1. Positive HPV test. A positive test result means that you have a type of high-risk HPV that's linked to cervical cancer. ...
  2. Negative HPV test. A negative test result means that you don't have any of the types of HPV that cause cervical cancer.

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What is the most obvious symptom of HPV infection?

Most cases of HPV are asymptomatic, meaning you will not have any noticeable signs or symptoms. For those who do experience symptoms, they may include: Genital warts (a bump or group of bumps in the genital area) Cervical dysplasia (the presence of abnormal precancerous cells on the cervix)

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Can stress cause HPV to flare up?

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.

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What is life expectancy with HPV?

The prevalence of infection with both viruses was 26.9%. Overall survival at 5 years was 91% among women with HPV 18 and 96% among those without this virus type (p = 0.133). Among the women with HPV 16, the overall survival was 94%, whereas this rate was 96% among those without this virus type (p = 0.663).

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What does it mean if your Pap is normal but HPV is positive?

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.

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Can I spread HPV to my family?

Yes. Although most infections occur following intercourse, HPV may also be passed on during oral sex and genital-to-genital contact. Even more rarely, a mom can transmit the virus to her baby during birth.

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How long can you have HPV without knowing?

Although most HPV infections go away within two years, some will not. HPV infections that do not go away can "hide" in the body for years and not be detected. That's why it is impossible to know exactly when someone got infected, how long they've been infected, or who passed the infection to them.

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