Hi JW192.

It’s good to know that the HPV has not led to any cervical cell abnormalities. Almost every type of cervical cancer develops from abnormal cells caused by HPV, and there are very few exceptions to this so it would highly unlikely for cervical cancer to develop without the cells becoming abnormal first. And any abnormal cells should be picked up early at a smear test.

But having HPV does not automatically mean you will ever have any cell abnormalities, far less cervical cancer. Most people who have ever been sexually active at any point in their life, not just recently, will have come into contact with the virus, and the vast majority will not even know they have it if it hasn’t caused any issues. It can be dormant, when it would not show on a test, and active-when it will give a positive test result. Having HPV doesn’t mean that it will ever cause any cell changes. 

I’m speaking from my experience of having cervical cancer, but I don’t have any experience of vulval cancer. I’m sorry to hear you have been through that already.