I have just found out I have HPV on a routine pap smear, I didn't get a lot of info from my GP, except that it's common and I have a gyno appt next month
I have NO idea really what this means so I did some googling to discover its sexually transmitted.....
My husband and I have been together since we were young and had had no other sexual partners prior to getting together, I really do hope I'm over thinking things, I'm just after stories similar I guess!!!!
Feeling a bit overwhelmed
8 Replies
It can also be spread by giving birth and breastfeeding. You and or your husband could have had it forever. Most people never have any symptoms.
Please don’t jump to conclusions, yet.
Ah thankyou, see, I'm a champion overthinker!!! And I honestly know absolutely nothing about it, I've always had regular smears but this is my 1st abnormal one
This is the new way of doing pap smears. They look for HPV as it's the main cause of cervical cancer. If you have HPV you get closer management by gyno as a 'just in case' so any changes can be picked up early. If not, it's 5 years in between smears. Your doc should have explained this to you before the test. I'd be considering looking for a new one.
You've likely had it a very long time. It's not an indication of anything terrible happening/has happened.
https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/national-cervical-scr...
This was me just last month!
This was my first cervical screening using the new method/ testing. As others have said, this virus can stay in your system for years, it’s when it’s left untreated for 10+hrs that it can turn cancerous.
Had my (very expensive) gyno app, where they did a colposcopy (like a Pap smear but insert a camera to check for lesions) came back I had a bacterial infection (common) 1 round of antibiotics and told to retest in 12 months.
HPV is so common, just about 1 in 2 have it .. but there are several variants and 16 and 18 are the ones that progress into cancer. They categorise it into categories, cin1 cin2 cin3 and cin4. Basically 3 and 4 are close to developing cancerous cells, but with 1 and 2 it's normally just removing the infected tissue and regular paps. I had cin3, I lost 90% of my cervix.
It's scary, regardless and you won't know, until you have your biopsy. Don't do what I did, and panic before you get your results. Although I did have cin3 I didn't have cancer and because I had my pap, it won't become cancer.
I found out I have HPV last year. I naturally worried and asked my doctor if it means my husband had been unfaithful. He said no, it can lay dormant in your system for years, it can also be passed from mother to child during birth. 6 months later, I discovered my husband had cheated, more than once. That's where I got it.
I’ve been with my partner since young and had the same thing happen! I freaked out too thinking he had cheated. It turns out the strand I had they never used to test for. Since going to the 5 year ones they now do. I asked the dr twice if it was an infidelity thing and he said it can stay in your system dormant. Likely I got it when younger! I would still have a convo with your husband face to face about it. You will know from his expression if he’s lying.
I had a re test in 1 year but my result was considered low risk. What strand did you have?