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High risk persistent HPV

Anxioushusband
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My wife got a positive result along with borderline cell changes. Unfortunately hers must be persistent as we've been monogamous for 10 years.

We're waiting on her colposcopy but meanwhile I've been doing a ridiculous amount of research.

I worked out that if 80% of women get the virus at some point with 50% of those being high risk strains, and 10% being persistent, it means that at least 1 in 30 women who have ever been sexually active will have persistent HPV.

If you consider the amount of sexually active women in the U.K you can imagine we're talking millions of persistent HPV infections, but then if you think that there's 853 deaths from cervical cancer per year you can see that whilst being diagnosed with persistent HPV isn't good news, it's not a cancer diagnosis.

 

I just thought I'd share this info to lift the spirits of others in the same situation as my wife, hopefully non of it is misinformation, I got it all from places like cancer uk.

 

the only thing that is still confusing me about my wife's persistent HPV is whether or not there a chance she could spontaneously clear it or at least make it go dormant?

Every piece of information simply says 90% clear it within 2 years but is there a chance of clearing it after 10' years.

All of my wife's previous smears were fine apart from her first one at age 21 which went back to normal on her next smear.

she's now 40.

 

thanks 

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    Hi There 

    I also have persistent HPV and have had several treatments but can't seem to budge it. It is very much on my mind all the time. My life is on hold and I am scared. I have had it well over 4 years

  • Offline in reply to Emski1

    Sorry to hear that. I fully understand what you mean about it being on your mind all the time. 
    since my wife received the letter I don't really think of much else.

    I even wake up in the night and I've been thinking about it in my sleep.

    I'm sure therapy for obsessive thoughts would help. 
     

     

  • Offline in reply to Emski1

    Hi, I'm not sure it helps me saying this but I've had the virus for the last 38 years. I know the timeline of when I picked it up, as I must have picked it up at the same time as the genital warts HPV variant. However I've only just had my first HPV smear test, so I've only just found out that I've still got it so I must have picked up a high risk variant at the same time.

    I wouldn't put your life on hold, lifestyle choices probably won't clear it anyway. I'm 56 active and veggie so that clearly hasn't shifted it. I think once you have it and know you have it you probably just need to keep having regular checks and live with it as best you can.

  • Offline in reply to Mellybeee

    I can relate to you being anxious and not stop thinking about it. I first got treatment in 1987, I presume it was HPV but I can’t remember anybody mentioning it, all I remember they gave me a Leep procedure, then I had 30 plus years of clear results, then in 2021 I had my 5 yearly smear and it come back HPV positive with low grade change, then in 2022 it was the same result so I had another leep procedure, this didn’t work as the next smear was HPV positive with low grade changes again, They told me that HPV wasn’t routinely tested until 2018 so I’m thinking I’ve never got rid of it or it has laid dormant. My body is not getting rid of the HPV. I’ve got another smear test in October and I bet I’m still HPV positive again. As you say some women are just not getting rid of the HPV and it is very persistent! 

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