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What are the chances of getting cervical cancer with high-risk HPV?
What percentage of high-risk infections become cervical cancers? Only 2\% to 4\% of high-risk infections lead to clinically significant lesions. The risk is higher, however, if your HPV infection is persistent.
How often should you get a Pap smear if you have high-risk HPV?
An HPV test every 5 years, or. A Pap and HPV test together (called co-testing) every 5 years.
What does it mean to test high-risk for HPV?
The HPV test looks for cervical infection by high-risk types of HPV that are more likely to cause pre-cancers and cancers of the cervix. The test can be done by itself or at the same time as the Pap test (called a co-test) (with the same swab or a second swab), to determine your risk of developing cervical cancer.
How long does it take for high-risk HPV to cause abnormal cells?
If your immune system is healthy, it typically takes about 10 to 15 years for cervical cancer to develop from a high-grade lesion.
What happens if you test positive for high-risk HPV?
A positive test result means that you have a type of high-risk HPV that’s linked to cervical cancer. It doesn’t mean that you have cervical cancer now, but it’s a warning sign that cervical cancer could develop in the future.
How do you deal with high-risk HPV?
What’s the treatment for high-risk HPV Cryotherapy — a treatment to freeze and remove precancerous cells from the cervix. LEEP or Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure — a treatment to remove precancerous cells from the cervix with an electrical current.
What do I do if I test positive for high risk HPV?
If you got a positive HPV test and your Pap test was abnormal, your doctor will probably follow up with a colposcopy. Try to see a physician who specializes in this procedure. During a colposcopy, your doctor will look more closely at the cervix, vagina or vulva with a special microscope called a colposcope.
How did I get high risk 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. HPV can be passed even when an infected person has no signs or symptoms. Anyone who is sexually active can get HPV, even if you have had sex with only one person.