Hi  

I have been awake all night after getting my results from my smear test. I am shocked and now my health anxiety has been triggered off to the highest degree. I haven't had sex for almost 4 years and my last smear was negative but now it's still negative which is good...but i have high risk hpv. I wish they never tested for this, because by looking at all these posts...its made people really confused and worried. No support for people, the Internet says all sorts of things to scare you which doesn't help. Now I have seen I'm not on my own, I feel a lot better that others are suffering with the same situation. I have heard certain mushrooms such as shittake and turkey tail mushrooms have been good for getting rid of hpv so I might try that. I feel dirty and the Internet have said you can catch it from holding hands so I'm panicking now about that. Although I don't think that's correct I'm going to speak to my doctor on Monday. I feel so anxious  

Hi. I have been married for 12 years together for 15, with complete trust and no other possibility of an external connection. I have tested positive for HPV in my last 3 smear tests, each done on a 12 month recall, and after this latest result I was referred for a Colposcopy. I got my appointment within a couple of weeks, during the examination (its basically a more in depth smear) I actually found it more comfortable to be fair, the gynecologist showed me on the camera that she was examining me with, showed me my cervix, and the tiny dots of the virus, everything looked healthy and clear, However biopsies were taken, this can be slightly uncomfortable, it just feels like period cramps, and all my results came back clear. I'm now back onto a 3 year smear. It sounds horrible as its classified as "sexually transmitted" which I think needs addressing, and there certainly needs to be more correct information out there. I hope my reply has in some way eased your anxieties. 

X 

Hello, I too have been reading these posts as I have just found out I am positive for HPV. I am late 50’s and have not been sexually active for over 15 years and only 2 sexual partners. The virus has obviously been in me for a very long time and not cleared.

I hadn’t realised that the old style smear tests did not check for active HPV infection, so these posts have helped me understand why I was clear 8 years ago. I went for the smear as I have been having pelvic discomfort and wanted to tick that box off. Coming back positive has battered me, more-so because they couldn’t get cytology results one way or the other due to “lost/inadequate/other” so I’m now expected to wait 3 months for new cells to grow before taking another smear test. This despite me reiterating I have been having problems.

I think the nurses / Dr’s and surgeries need to make older women more aware that the virus can potentially reactivate. I think we assume per the literature that it clears in one or two years. So if you’ve had a clear test, then not had sex between smears, you’re fine. Maybe that’s the case for most people but it can come back and from what I’ve read, hormones can be a trigger, so menopause as well as pregnancy.

I would urge any menopausal women to keep up with their smears, even if they’ve not been sexually active for years. 

Aww,bless you x It's a worry, isn't it ? Personally, it just  seems to be one thing after another for me! I didn't even tell my hubby for a few days, until I'd done some research. At first, he reacted just as I knew he would. It was only when I told him it can lie dormant for 30+ years, that he kinda understood? We haven't spoke about it but I think about it daily.....and now because my second smear test is due, I'm out of my mind !! I worry that my body won't be able to fight it because I'm not in the best of health. I don't eat right, can't exercise. All things considered, I just have a bad feeling. 3am this morning I was looking at it again on my phone, that's how I found this site. But just the word cancer, sends shivers down my spine.I've always has significant pain in the leg I almost had amputated & my back because my pelvis was badly fractured & now have spondylitis too. My brain has just gone into overdrive & I can't help but worry.

I had to do the explaining to my partner too about dormant HPV as he said straight away, but you get it from sex! Yes, it’s a total worry. I did the 3am wake up thing, my first thought was about HPV & my symptoms and that C word, then my mind was churning and I couldn’t get back to sleep! You’ve certainly been in the wars. I’m sorry, try to take one step at a time, that’s what I always tell people and am now telling myself. We can’t control what we can’t change.

Also, remember we are at least ‘in the system’ Hopefully, your negative cytology (no abnormal cells) and with no other symptoms, your HPV will have cleared / gone dormant when you’re tested in February.

I have decided not to wait 3 months because I have the pelvic discomfort and spotting, plus I now know HPV, so am going to use my work healthcare provider to get further tests, potentially a colposcopy. If you test positive again, even with negative cytology, you may still get referred for a colposcopy, it’s worth asking the nurse to confirm at your screening. Good luck! To both of us. I will update this thread as I think it’s important to help other women. Like we both said, the posts have helped us. Doesn’t take the worry away but it helps knowing there are others that have gone through/ are going through the same experience.

Thankyou for the reply. You are right, it is good to chat with other's going through a similar thing.....& not being able to change anything about it. I believe they've only started in the last few years to test for this ? I've always had my smears as required but I assume when I had to have yearly scans in my 30's because of abnormal cells, maybe this was the hpv raising it's ugly head ? My nurse didn't seem concerned & told me not to worry (how silly) lol. She also shared a story about another patient who was sobbing uncontrollably cos she thought she had aids (HIV). We're in this mess so just have to deal with it I suppose. Good luck hunni, chat soon x

Yes, I think they only introduced the HPV part of the test in 2019/20 Interesting you’ve had yearly monitoring scans before, alongside your HPV positive last year, it does seem that it can go dormant and reappear and go dormant. Not just reinfections. My last test was normal but that was pre 2019 where there was no HPV check. I was a bit late to the party on getting smears as I’d always assumed I was so low risk and the negative test reinforced that to me. But understanding more about HPV, I now understand how important it is to get them regularly even if you’re not sexually active or with the same partner. 

Your nurse sounds great! Take care, good luck! x

I know, it does seem a bit of a coincidence  !!!  I havent had many partners. I married young, only 8 weeks  before my accident (aged 21) We lasted 7 years. He cheated, got her pregnant & left me. I then started to see my current hubby, 27 years ago. So the finger points to my ex !! Anyway, enough of what if's, I just gotta deal with it & pray it doesn't turn into the big 'C'.  Mind you, I'm probably due to have some more *** thrown at me, talk about unlucky. I must've been really bad in a previous life, lol. Good luck & take care

Hi, can anyone tell me if they get any pain with HPV ? My brain is in overdrive & I'm having pains like stomach cramps & groin pain. It's hard to remember if it's my usual pain or different......or am I imagining it ??

HPV as I understand it, that is the infection itself, doesn’t ordinarily cause any symptoms and that is why people don’t realise they have it. Pain is something that needs to be checked out.

My discomfort is mostly ‘naggy’, I’ve only twice taken pain killers for it. It is also more the lower pelvic area, rather than tummy, hence an initial diagnosis of a UTI when it first started.

Until we both have have further tests, we just don’t know what’s going on. It’s all very worrying, yes brain in overdrive !! but all we can do is wait for the medics. It’s tempting to consult ‘Dr Google’ but it’s best avoided! 

Tinkjar, thankyou. I'll have a few more tortuous weeks then before my smear & being able to ask questions.!!

Good luck with yours

Take care x

Same here. I’m 55 and have just had my smear results back. Told I have HPV but no unusual cells. Advised to go back for another smear in 12 months. Last smear (5 years ago) was clear and the letter didn’t even mention HPV so assume as they are now testing for it, this is why so many of us are here. I’ve not been sexually active for over 10 years after my divorce so I must have picked HPV up before I got married. Both my ex and I had relationships before we got together. I agree that there should be more information for older females who are in our boat. My HPV must have been hanging around for years so it’s unlikely it will have disappeared in 12 months. You ladies have been very helpful. Has anyone who has commented in this thread and who has been back after their results, got any updates? Take care and thanks for your help. Xxx

Same here. I’m 55 and have just had my smear results back. Told I have HPV but no unusual cells. Advised to go back for another smear in 12 months. Last smear (5 years ago) was clear and the letter didn’t even mention HPV so assume as they are now testing for it, this is why so many of us are here. I’ve not been sexually active for over 10 years after my divorce so I must have picked HPV up before I got married. Both my ex and I had relationships before we got together. I agree that there should be more information for older females who are in our boat. My HPV must have been hanging around for years so it’s unlikely it will have disappeared in 12 months. You ladies have been very helpful. Has anyone who has commented in this thread and who has been back after their results, got any updates? Take care and thanks for your help. Xxx

Hello, yes it seems many of us are on the same boat, with HPV infections we picked up originally, years, even decades ago. You’re right, they didn’t test for HPV before, so none of us would have known we’d picked it up earlier in our love lives! I actually think it’s most likely I got it from my first partner. 
Good news for me, I had a colposcopy this week and it was all clear, no cancer. I spoke to the Doctor about the HPV and he said, it can be dormant for years and reactivate, say if your immune system is low, then go dormant again. I also read somewhere that menopause might be a trigger. He advised me to keep up with my smears, which I obviously will.
Any women coming by reading these posts, just be aware that’s it’s not necessarily a case of having an active HPV infection and it’s been active all the years you’ve had it doing sinister stuff. It could well be a reactivation that will go dormant again. Maybe when the NHS get more data, they could discover that HPV is something of a more permanent nature for more women than is currently suggested. 
My advice is, try not to worry, keep up with the smears. Obviously if you do have any other symptoms, talk to the GP.  X

Brilliant news! So pleased for you. I agree, I have always had my smears regularly and will do so until I can no longer have them. We are so lucky in the UK that we get them via the NHS. Be draft not to keep them up. Great chat, so reassuring. Xxx

Thank you! You’re welcome, I think it helps to find there are others in the same boat, I was absolutely mind blown when the surgery phoned to say I had HPV, when I hadn’t had sex in years, I couldn’t process it, the nurse didn’t seem to understand my shock and concern, so I was even wondering if I’d misunderstood and was then waiting to read it in black and white in the official letter I got. The posts on this site really helped me. Good luck! X