How do I know if I have HPV?
• Most people will have HPV at sometime and never know it.
• The body’s immune system usually clears the virus
in around one to two years.
• A Pap smear is a quick and simple test in which a
number of cells are collected from your cervix and sent
to a laboratory where they are tested for changes.
• No drugs or an aesthetics are required and a doctor
can easily do it. It only takes a few minutes.
• A Pap smear every two years is your best protection
against cervical cancer.
• Cell changes found by having a Pap smear are nearly
always caused by HPV, and usually return to normal
when the body has cleared the virus. If the changes
continue, they can be treated before they become
more serious. Most people will have HPV at some
time and never know it. The body’s immune system
usually clears the virus in around one to two years.
A Pap smear is a quick and simple test in which a number
of cells are collected from your cervix and sent to a
laboratory where they are tested for changes. No drugs
or anaesthetics are required and a doctor can easily do it.
It only takes a few minutes.
• A Pap smear every two years is your best protection
against cervical cancer.
• Cell changes found by having a Pap smear are nearly
always caused by HPV, and usually return to normal when
the body has cleared the virus. If the changes continue,
they can be treated before they become more serious.
How did I get HPV?
HPV is spread through genital skin contact during sex.
The virus passes through tiny breaks in the skin. HPV
is not spread through blood or other body fluid. Condoms
offer limited protection as they do not cover all of the
genital skin. Warts on any other parts of the body rarely
spread to the genital area.
What does it mean if I have HPV?
HPV is so common that it can be considered a normal part of life after you start to have sex. Four out of five
people will have HPV at some time in their lives. Most
women only become aware of the fact that they have
HPV when they have an abnormal Pap smear result or
if genital warts appear.
After it enters the body, HPV behaves in one of two
ways:
• it can stay dormant (inside the body’s cells); or
• it can become active.
When they are active, some types of HPV can cause warts.
Other types cause invisible infection in the genital area,
including the cervix. It can take many years for the virus
to become active, and when it does it usually only lasts
for a short time. In most cases, the infection is cleared
by the body is one to two years. Once you have been
exposed to a particular kind of HPV, you are unlikely to
catch it again
How is HPV related to cancer of the cervix?
HPV infection is very common but in most people the
virus clears up naturally in one to two years. In a small
number of women, HPV stays in the cells of the cervix.
If the infection is not cleared, there is an increased risk
of cervical cancer. When cervical cancer develops,
HPV is found in almost all cases. Although HPV can cause
cell changes that may lead to cervical cancer, this will
usually take a long time - often more than 10 years.
A number of factors such as increasing age, smoking
and lowered immunity, together with the long term cell
changes caused by HPV, may increase the risk
of cervical cancer. It is important to have a Pap smear
every two years so that cell changes can be identified
and either watched until they clear up or be treated
when necessary. It is important to remember that most
women who have HPV clear the virus
naturally and do NOT go on to develop cervical cancer.
What should I tell my partner?
As HPV is so common, there is a strong chance that
anyone who has ever had sex has HPV, or has had it
in the past. You can have HPV for a long time with out
knowing it. It is possible you were infected recently,
or many months or years ago and the virus has stayed
undetected or dormant. People who discover they have
HPV may feel shocked, angry or upset. Because the
virus can be hidden in a person’s cells for a long time,
having a diagnosis of HPV does not necessarily mean
that you or your partner has been unfaithful. As we do
not know how long HPV can remain dormant, for most
people it is impossible to determine when and from
whom they got HPV. If you have HPV, it is quite likely
that your partner has it, too. If you have genital warts,
your partner may have them or may develop them.
It is also possible that neither of you will have any
symptoms at all. Remember, most people will clear
the virus from their body in about one or two years
without any harmful effects. If you or your partner are
concerned about HPV, talk to your doctor or go to a
sexual health centre for further advice. HPV and herpes
are not related. If you have HPV, it does not mean you
will have herpes.
How is HPV treated?
There is no treatment for HPV. It will, in most
cases, be cleared up by your immune system
like most viruses. However, the effects of the
virus, such as any warts that appear or changes to
the cells of the cervix, can be treated. Your doctor
can suggest the treatment most suitable for you.
If your Pap smear indicates that cells have been
affected by HPV, you should have more frequent
Pap smears until these cells return to normal. If
the changes continue, further tests may be necessary.
Can I be tested for HPV?
There is a test available that can identify certain types of HPV associated with cervical cancer. This test is not
helpful for women under the age of 30, as HPV is very
common in this age group and usually goes away without
causing any problems. Also, because there is no cure for
HPV, there is little reason to have the test. The HPV test
is most useful for women who have had treatment for
cell changes to check that the virus has gone away.
If you have had treatment for a high grade abnormality,
you will need to have a Pap smear and a HPV test annually.
Once both the Pap smear and HPV test are reported as
negative on two successive occasions, you can then return
to the two-yearly screening program.
HPV Vaccine
Regular Pap smears are still essential as the HPV vaccine does not protect against all the HPV types that can
cause cervical cancer.
Remember:• While HPV is very common, cervical cancer is not
common.
• Most women with HPV will not develop cervical
cancer.
• It usually takes around 10 years for changes to
cervical
cells caused by HPV to progress to cancer. Regular Pap
smears are your best protection against developing cervical
cancer.
See your health practitioner if you ever develop any symptoms such as unusual bleeding, even if your last Pap
smear was normal.
Will more frequent Pap smears offer more protection
against cervical cancer?
If your latest Pap smear result was normal and you have no
symptoms or concerns, then your next Pap smear is due in
two years time. There is no need to have another Pap smear
any earlier. If you have any symptoms such as bleeding,
discharge or any other worries, you should go back to your
doctor and discuss them. Cervical cancer usually takes
around 10 years to develop. A Pap smear once every two
years is enough to identify changes before they become
serious.
LNH
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