What happens if they find HPV in smear test?

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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What happens if my smear detects HPV?

If you have low grade changes but HPV is found on the sample (HPV positive), you will get an invitation for a colposcopy. This test can show whether you need treatment for the abnormal cells. You also have a colposcopy if you have high grade cell changes.

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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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What happens if you still test positive for HPV?

Positive HPV test.

It doesn't mean that you have cervical cancer now, but it's a warning sign that cervical cancer could develop in the future. Your doctor will probably recommend a follow-up test in a year to see if the infection has cleared or to check for signs of cervical cancer.

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Do you have cancer if you test positive for HPV?

Most HPV infections don't cause cancer: Your immune system usually controls HPV infections so they don't cause cancer. High-risk HPV infections that persist can cause cancer: Sometimes HPV infections are not successfully controlled by your immune system.

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Pap and HPV Testing | Nucleus Health

28 related questions found

Is being diagnosed with HPV bad?

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 percentage of HPV turns 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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Why have I suddenly got HPV?

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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What are the signs of HPV in a woman?

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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Should I tell my partner I 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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What does it mean if Pap smear is normal but HPV 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 my Pap smear come back normal if I have HPV?

In fact, many women with HPV will never have an abnormal pap smear. That being said, routine screening with your provider is the only way to follow any changes to the cervix that could lead to cervical cancer.

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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
  • Common warts. Close. Common warts. Common warts. Common warts can grow on your hands or fingers. ...
  • Plantar warts. Close. Plantar warts. Plantar warts. ...
  • Flat warts. Close. Flat warts. Flat warts. ...
  • Female genital warts. Close. Female genital warts. Female genital warts. ...
  • Male genital warts. Close. Male genital warts. Male genital warts.

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Is HPV A STD?

HPV stands for human papillomavirus. It's the most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV is usually harmless and goes away by itself, but some types can lead to cancer or genital warts.

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Can you have HPV without it being an STD?

HPV infections can be sexually transmitted or non-sexually acquired; this review focuses on the latter. Transmission of non-sexually acquired HPV occurs when infected skin or skin squames are in direct contact with broken or macerated skin.

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Is HPV curable in females?

Is there a cure for HPV? 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.

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Can a faithful couple get HPV?

In a monogamous relationship, therefore, just as in an affair or even in an interval of no sexual relationships at all, an HPV diagnosis means only that the person contracted an HPV infection at some point in his or her life. Myth: Genital warts lead to cervical cancer.

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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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Do I need a colposcopy if I have HPV?

If you test positive for HPV 16/18, you will need to have a colposcopy. If you test positive for HPV (but did not have genotyping performed or had genotyping and tested negative for 16/18), you will likely have a colposcopy.

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How did I get HPV if I am married?

No, there are over 100 types of HPV, and they nearly all spread through close contact, but it doesn't have to be sexual contact. However, types of HPV that cause genital warts and other high-risk types of HPV are passed on through skin-to-skin contact with the genitals, vaginal, anal or oral sex or sharing sex toys.

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Does HPV make you tired?

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has contributed to an increased incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Fatigue is a major side effect of SCCHN and its treatment.

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How long is HPV contagious?

It's hard to know when people are no longer contagious, because there's no blood test that looks for HPV. Most of the time, HPV is gone within 2 years of when someone was infected.

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