Hi Sarah,

I'm not an expert but I think that HPV can stay dormant in the body for years, so it could have been transmitted early in your life and never given any signals it was there. HPV is serious because it can cause cancer of the uterus.

You say your smear test didn't show any abnormal cells, so that means all is good and healthy, you don't have cancer. But since HPV can lead to cancer, you have a high risk of developing it in future, but it doesn't mean that you will. Some people do others don't.

I don't know how quick the HPV could develop into cancer but if you do a test every year you should be OK, please check with a nurse or doctor. I don't know if it is possible to cure HPV completely. There is a vaccine for tens now, but that was not the case years ago.

If you are not happy with your doctor's advice you have the right to seek a second opinion. The Macmillan Trust can also help with medical advice, they have a free phone line. Or you could ring the number below to ask the nurses here more questions.

Hope this is helpful. All the best!

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I am very grateful. I will speak to my gp or nurse as soon as I am able, I feel so awful that my smear test was rather overdue though I guess prior to this one only reason cells would have been looked at if they were normal then. I wouldn't feel so worried if I had been sexually active in recent years as I'd feel reassurance that most infections clear within it says 1-2 years, it just feels a little pointless waiting for another year to see as it states if my immune system will clear it when I know that it must be a persistent infection because it has to have been so long since exposure. I didn't realise there was any change in the way they processed smear results and got a really awful shock seeing the hpv positive result and then all the information saying it usually clears in 24 months but for some it can persist and this then results in cell changes, I can't seem to find any percentage or risk that says of those with a persistent infection x amount is likely to cause changes. Once again thank you so much for your kind words. S x

Just found this discussion .. I've learnt so much and in sane boat and petrified .. result was today I'm shocked I'm 55 and as others of you say 12 months !!! I've gone into meltdown I'm a stressed worried person as it is , when one sees the C word ! 12 months ?? Surely this is an issue with our health system to suddenly start testing for so something but leaving you in limbo as the  next stage ie: cure/treatment/advice that allows you to sleep at night then why do such a test yet .. I'm actually angry as I'm left to cope alone and feel panicked ‍♀️

Hi

Please try not to worry..I was in same boat..I've just had my smear year on and it was negative ..if you had cancer cells they would be acting on it now..I had a really good nurse this time and she said it's really really common and in some people probably our age we have had it for years without knowing.

Xx

Thankyou .. oh I'm so worried but Thankyou .. nurse wouldn't speak to me , receptionist said don't worry but hey it's not her is it♀️.. I feel dirty and gross but its been years so how did I get it .. I just feel I'm on a time bomb 

I havent been active either..I felt the same..thought has my husband cheated etc etc ..but i was reassured by nurse..its something the can reoccur after years and its only recently they have started to test for it on smear...so honestly just try to put in back of your mind do your 12 months ..

You'll be ok

I've just come across this post.  I've not been sexually active for 10 years but last year I tested positive for hpv but no abnormal cells.  This year I had another smear and again am hpv positive but this time also high grade severe abnormal cells.  Found this out last week and today am going for a colposcopy.  I'm absolutely terrified! I don't understand how it can go from nothing to severe in one year.  I'm not saying this to frighten anyone else but if you are hpv positive don't miss your test each year.  I'm 59 years old.  It was a shock to be hpv positive last year and now this my heads all over the place.  I can't tell my family till I know what's what.  Anyone had the same experience I'm going through? I'm scared of what might happen today.  Sorry for jumping in on this thread x

So sorry to hear this and sincerely hope your colposcopy went OK and that they are or have removed the abnormal cells xx

Hi worried41

I've read about the tests they use. There are 14 high risk HPV strains that they all screen for. All of these are known to cause cervical cancer. Some of the tests just screen for hrHPV so any of the 14 strains but some can also say if there is specifically strain 16 or 18 these cause about 70% of the cancers. I asked my doctor if the test they'd used on my sample identified the strain. They hadn't identified it but they were able to say it wasn't 16 or 18 so it maybe worth asking your doctor if they can find this information for you. 

hiya, im 25years old and been having problems down there for years , they wouldnt give me a smear till now, its came back high risk hpv and abnormal cells im so so scared and feel alone. how did yours go? hopefully your okay x

Reading this thread regarding hpv I'm the same. I'm 57 and we were never tested for this. It's probably been dormant for years in my body.  I'm glad I joined this forum. A lot of my initial concerns have been answered. I'm not out the clear yet as biopsies have been taken. A few weeks for results. 

Hope the biopsy comes back ok, I totally agree with what Fiona61 has said, that now they are testing for hpv, although a good thing, it will cause so much worry and anxiety, I am now on my 4th year of worry 3 years of hpv positive smears, had a colposcopy and now a recheck in another year, its been over 20 years since I've been sexually active so can't see it going on its own  

Hope the biopsy comes back ok, I totally agree with what Fiona61 has said, that now they are testing for hpv, although a good thing, it will cause so much worry and anxiety, I am now on my 4th year of worry 3 years of hpv positive smears, had a colposcopy and now a recheck in another year, its been over 20 years since I've been sexually active so can't see it going on its own