Hi 

I'm in my fiftys, and after a smear about 3 years ago I had abnormal cells plus hpv, I couldn't believe it, I had been in relationship about 3 years, I had letzz treatment done which got rid of the abnormal cells thank god. I started to take ginsing supplements as its supposed to help the body plus your body can fight off the hpv itself given time, which is what happened to me latest smear was hpv negative so don't worry, it can clear up. X

Thank you so much that been encouraging to me x

I was diagnosed with hpv 18 in November 2019 and had low grade diskaryosis in December 2020 need to get rechecked in June 2021 to check if OK or not 

i have just had smear back. boderline changes and hpv. all my smears have been fine before this.

im so worried. i have my colposcopy wed.

i am almost 40 

Hi Lola..the colposcopy will allow a closer look at your cervix, but borderline cell changes are the least serious type of cell change. They may not even require treatment. 

If I can help you with anything, please let me know. I’ve learned a great deal about HPV over the last couple of years! 

Im so confused about it all.

You just  get this info dumped on you and left to deal with it.

im convinced im going to go wed and be told bad news. or at best have a lifetime of constant checks waiting  for it to turn into bad news. 

ive also read people over 30 rarely get rid of hpv. i cant deal with this forever x

HPV is something which can be active or dormant, but once you have it, it can’t be cured. If it’s dormant, it wont be causing any cell damage, and you can do your best to keep it dormant by boosting your immune system, eating well etc. 

If treatment is required for the cells, it will normally clear them and that’s it. Having HPV and abnormal cells absolutely does not mean that this will be cancer in the future. The best thing to do is keep up with screening and identify any issues at a early stage. 

Ive read so many things on here about simple treatement and then next time people go its progressed to something worse.

seems like a life sentence to me.

i suffer with crippling health anxiety anyway and this had made me ill already. Just want wed to be over so I know what's what 

Health anxiety is bound to make things so much worse for you-I can understand that. Could you ask your doctor for help with that? Having HPV doesn’t bother me..I’ve learned to live with that over the years and I have no idea how long I’ve had it because there no way to tell. 

The treatment for abnormal cells is straightforward and has a huge success rate. You will only read worse case scenarios on a cancer forum unfortunately. But abnormal cells definitely don’t mean cancer. 

Ive tried everything, councelling and CBT. nothing has worked. i dont have a generalised anxiety probelm, or health anxiety even, its just the C word after watching a loved one lose their battle.

I cant see anything right now other than possible C, bad news on wed and a lifetime of being messed about with and the prospect of it becoming something.

i really am in such a mess and suffering panic attacks which ive never had when i wake up x

Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that nothing has helped you. I have found both medication and counselling very helpful for my anxiety. If you have borderline cell changes, it would be extremely unlikely for this to turn out to be cancer. The odds are hugely in your favour of this being something easily treatable. 

I know how you feel but try not to worry easier said than done because I also am an awful worrier but my friend has just tested negative at the age of 61 but last year her result was hpv positive so this is encouraging x

I know how you feel but try not to worry easier said than done because I also am an awful worrier but my friend has just tested negative at the age of 61 but last year her result was hpv positive so this is encouraging x

Thank you both.

I feel like im just stuck in a bubble right now. Everything and everyone is moving around outside just the same and I'm stuck inside, frozen with dread.

i have even paid private to have my colposcopy done. i didnt get my smear results until thur and im booked in wed for my colp.

I had a colposcopy 6 years ago for something unrelated. I cant believe HPV wasnt picked up then and i havent been monitored more closely since. i know smears havent long been testing for HPV but surely a colposcopy and biopsy should have picked it up 6 years ago.

nothing makes sense right now 

If they didn’t test for HPV specifically, there would have been no way to know you had it. Even if they had tested for it, if the virus was in a dormant phase the test would have produced a negative result. 

smear was clear two years ago. im worried about how fast its started at alter my cells in that case x

I have been stuck in that bubble and still am so I know how you feel the worry has overtaken my life I think I know where mine came from but that's another story it's encouraging to read Minskas comments and this lady has put it into prospectus and I have spoken to many medical professionals about this but I think we have no choice other than to try and keep positive about this for both our sakes xx

 You had no abnormal cells then, and typically abnormalities progress slowly. It is likely that on the basis of a borderline result the changes now are very minor. 

just awful isnt it.

it doesnt matter what anyone says to me.

its like having a phobia of snakes and being told next week, were going to lock you in a room with loads of them. some of them may bite you, some of them may not. but just try and relax over it.

thats the only way i can explain how it feels.

are you still waiting for your colposcopy?

You are right AJD. Keeping positive is hugely helpful, and personally I find it pointless to worrying about something which hasn’t happened. But I guess it’s just experience that has taught me that! 

Yes I am it's in June x

I dont want wed to come but then i do on the same note.

heads just a mess 

I know I feel exactly the same x