Hi Doritos, 

I recently too received a positive high risk HPV result. Fortunately my smear came back normal. Although this does nothing for my anxiety as I know smears are not 100% at detecting cervical cancer and I've had a few mild symptoms. I have to now wait 12 months for another smear. I too am in a very trusting relationship with my partner of 13 years and there's no doubt I must have contracted it from him in the beginning or even before that from someone else. From what I've read it can lay dormant for a long time or it can linger in some people for decades. We are obviously the unlucky ones. There's another thread with others in the same boat too. Ours is classed as persistent hpv. It's really frustrating that I'm having to wait a year when I know I've had it as long as I have. I really want to demand a colposcopy to thoroughly check there's no abnormalities. 
 

Have a look at the other thread, there's many different accounts and others in same situation as you with further tests needed. 
 

wish you all the best. Let me know how you get on :) 

Hi Dee

I'm so glad this chat still works:) I'm really scared of this positive HPV and borderline changes :( They booked me for colonoscopy,so it might be serious :( It doesn't help that my grandma died from Ovarian Cancer :/ My symptoms are: painful and very heavy periods, a lot of discharge even if I don't have a period coming out from the other side (weirdly) and pain in my left side of abdomen (ongoing). I'm scared because I have a child and it's always hard when you have such a big responsibility. I would probably feel different if I'm single :/ My poor husband doesn't know what to do either, are we band from sex forever or shall we try with condoms after all the tests etc? It's embarrassing to talk to friends and family about it,so I'm hoping people will be more open here and respond politely :)

Why women have to go through all of that?! We getting virus from the men,but only we can die from it-great,not!

Whatever happens I wish you all the best! Keep me updating about the process. I will too about mine. At the moment I'm waiting for Colonoscopy :/

D.

Hi I'd just like to jump on and maybe put your mind at ease a little :) 

high risk HPV with borderline changes isnt a stage of cancer, it can indicate a pre cancer that can be treated way before it turns into cancer, the pre cancer can range from borderline, mild, moderate or severe, as scary as it is borderline is the least severe but the colposcopy will just be a precaution to see if any treatment is needed with the high risk HPV being present :) even the most severe pre cancer can take up to 10 years before it turns, some who have gone for the colposcopy have even found that changes have reverted back to normal on their own and no treatment for the cells were needed but if treatment is needed they can offer it at the appointment..

You can absolutely still have sex! :) even while your going through the tests.. it's only advised not too around 24 hours before the colposcopy so enjoy yourselves ;) you will be advised when you can and can't :) condoms do reduce the risk of contracting it but it's not 100% as it's not just penetrative sex it's also skin to skin woman who are only interested in other woman are also just as at risk so it's really completely up to yourselves if use would like to use condoms :) 

There are over 100 strains of the virus but the few strains that can cause CC even though it's contracted sexually they aren't seen as 'dirty' ones you have nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about, around 80% of sexually active adults will have come into contact with it at some point in their lives and they don't even know it as there are no symptoms, the virus itself can lay dormant for decades so you won't really know how long you've had it and usually once it activates the immune system makes it dormant again before any changes start but some woman can have it persistently no matter what they do, that being said even woman who have a persistently can still go on never to develop CC they just like to keep monitoring 

easier said than done but try not too worry too much, DR Google isnt the most helpful at times like this lol try not too Google too much or if you do try and stay to the more reputable sites there's a lot of misinformation out there that will put you in a state of panic x

Thank you very much for your response :) I feel better now :) It’s always worrying when you see these letters from the hospital without clear explanation and then you do need to research  what the hell is going on with you,so I really appreciate websites and chats like this one,because even if it's scary-You are not alone! There are people who has the same problems or even worse! Supporting each other is very important and talking to friends and family won't always have the same effect. 

So,thank you one more time and have a lovely day :)

D.

They really don't give enough information it would calm a lot of anxiety if they gave more info on the initial letter the terminology they use is awful and can't help yourself when Google has all this information haha we all do it :)  I'm glad your feeling better about your results and you are definitely not alone you will have to keep us updated on how you get on :)

It may just be a typo but I hope you've been looking up colposcopy instead of colonoscopy as that's something different and a lot more invasive than what you would be having x

I totally understand your anxiety. I too lost my mum to cancer. So I have heightened health anxiety and this has sent me into over drive. I haven't even told my partner yet (we aren't that sexually active at the moment but I will need to eventually). I haven't spoken to anyone so these chat forums are so good to get it out. 

During my smear the nurse told me it was red and inflamed but that was possibly due to a non dangerous condition where cells from inside grow on the outside (can't remember what she called it) that she could see. Now I'm worrying that it's something more sinister. I couldn't sleep last night. I think I'm going to ask the GP to take a look to confirm the nurses observation just to help my mind ease. As she made the observation before I got the HPV positive result. I also have had terrible lower back pain and have done for a while. Also very slight blood stained discharge after sex (although due to not having sex for a while that hasn't happened lately) I mentioned this to the nurse and she said the cell condition would be responsible for that. I don't have periods as I have the Merina IUD. 
 

I wish we had a chance to sit with a gp/nurse as part of the aftercare to discuss our worries. Its horrendously worrying, especially when we know we have had it for a long time dormant or not (we don't know!), the damage could be well underway for me and I've got to wait 12 months....I just can't! 
 

im glad you are feeling less anxious. Just think that at least you are getting seen and that's all that's needed to sort you out if there are any changes to sort. Good luck with it xx

I totally understand your anxiety. I too lost my mum to cancer. So I have heightened health anxiety and this has sent me into over drive. I haven't even told my partner yet (we aren't that sexually active at the moment but I will need to eventually). I haven't spoken to anyone so these chat forums are so good to get it out. 

During my smear the nurse told me it was red and inflamed but that was possibly due to a non dangerous condition where cells from inside grow on the outside (can't remember what she called it) that she could see. Now I'm worrying that it's something more sinister. I couldn't sleep last night. I think I'm going to ask the GP to take a look to confirm the nurses observation just to help my mind ease. As she made the observation before I got the HPV positive result. I also have had terrible lower back pain and have done for a while. Also very slight blood stained discharge after sex (although due to not having sex for a while that hasn't happened lately) I mentioned this to the nurse and she said the cell condition would be responsible for that. I don't have periods as I have the Merina IUD. 
 

I wish we had a chance to sit with a gp/nurse as part of the aftercare to discuss our worries. Its horrendously worrying, especially when we know we have had it for a long time dormant or not (we don't know!), the damage could be well underway for me and I've got to wait 12 months....I just can't! 
 

im glad you are feeling less anxious. Just think that at least you are getting seen and that's all that's needed to sort you out if there are any changes to sort. Good luck with it xx

Oh you poor thing. I agree,this forum is all I needed! Me and my husband didn't know what to think or say:/ Just look at each other like "what the hell"?! I told him we are probably band from sex for a life etc. You just get this stupid letter from the hospital and need to figure out what it all means :/ I'm glad there are people here who can explain it or just give you that support you need at that very time. I actually told my husband I'm on this forum and how cool it is. He's glad I'm less worried and learns together with me. Call your GP and have a chat (I know they can be useless sometimes but you've got to try it!). We pay so much money to NHS,they need to start putting an effort! All I can see around are these pointless leaflets with various tel nr.and when u call them-no one answers! Or if they do,I feel like I'm talking to the machine. So yes,I will be nagging them until they do something :) 

Good Luck and let me know what they said ;)

D.