The cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb). The uterus is where
a fetus grows. The cervix connects the body of the uterus to the vagina
(birth canal). Changes in the cervix are often caused by infection with
a virus called human papilloma virus (HPV). HPV infections can lead to
cervical cancer.
When you have a Pap test, your doctor can also check you for
HPV. Some women may want to know if they have HPV. Some women may not
wish to know.
This document has answers to questions women may ask about the
Pap and HPV tests. It discusses:
• the difference between a Pap test and an HPV test
• what to do if you find out you have HPV
• how women can get HPV
• how to talk to your partner about HPV
• what it means if you find out you do not have HPV
Whether you have an HPV test or not, remember to always get
your Pap test.
What is the difference between a
Pap test and an HPV test?
A Pap test is used to find cell changes or abnormal cells in
the cervix. A pathologist (a doctor who has special training in
diagnosing diseases by lab tests such as looking at cells under a
microscope) will look at a sample of cells from the cervix under a
microscope to see if the cells are normal or if changes can be seen.
The Pap test is a very good test for finding cancer cells and cells
that might become cancer.
HPV is a virus that can cause cell changes in the cervix. The
HPV test checks for HPV. The test can be done at the same time as the
Pap test, with the same swab or a second swab. You will not notice a
difference in your exam if you have both tests.
Should I be tested for HPV?
If you are age 30 or older, you can have an HPV test with your
Pap test as part of your normal health visit. If both test results are
normal (negative), you should have your next Pap test in 3 years.
You may want to know if you have HPV, or you may not want to
know. Talk to your doctor or nurse about having the test. You also may
want to ask about the cost and if your health insurance will cover it.
I am not 30 yet. Should I have
an HPV test and a Pap test?
Women younger than 30 should not get the HPV test with the Pap
test as part of their normal health visit. HPV is so common in women
younger than 30 that it would not be helpful to test for it. After age
30, HPV is much less common.
If your Pap test shows certain cell changes, your doctor may
want to do an HPV test even if you are younger than 30. This is not the
same as getting having the HPV test with the Pap test as part of your
normal health visit.
I am not 30 yet, but my Pap test
came back as "abnormal." Now my doctor wants me to have the HPV test.
Why?
The most common abnormal Pap test result seen is called
ASC-¬US ("ask us"). ASC-US cells usually are not pre-cancer, but they
are not quite normal either. If your doctor sees ASC-US cells in your
Pap test result, he or she, will want you to have the HPV test to see
if HPV is causing the cell changes. Only women with ASC-US who also
have HPV need more tests. In these cases the test is used to make
decisions about possible treatment. Again, this is not the same as
using the HPV test with the Pap test as part of your normal health
visit.
If I test positive for HPV, what
does this mean for me?
If you have HPV and an abnormal Pap test result, your doctor
or nurse will explain what other tests you might need. If you have HPV
and a normal Pap test result, this means only that you have the HPV
virus. You will most likely be tested again in 6 to 12 months to see if
the virus has gone away. If the virus is still there, you may need to
have other tests.
If the virus does go away, we are not sure if the virus is
completely gone from the body or it just becomes inactive and can't be
found.
If I test positive for HPV, how
did I get it?
HPV is spread by skin-to-skin contact during sex. It can be
spread by all types of sex -- vaginal, oral, and anal.
If I test positive for HPV, when
did I get it?
It is usually not possible to know when a person got HPV or
who gave it to them. HPV may be found right away or not until many
years later. Most men and women with HPV do not know they have it.
If I have HPV and it goes away,
can I get it again?
There are many types of HPV. You may have one type that goes
away, and you will not get that type again. But you can still get a
different type.
This document covers only HPV types that can lead to cervical
cancer. Other types of HPV can cause genital warts. The HPV test only
tells you if you have HPV types that can lead to cancer.
How is HPV treated?
There is no treatment for HPV. There are treatments for the
cell changes in the cervix that HPV can cause. If your Pap test shows
cell changes, your doctor or nurse will discuss these treatments with
you if you need them.
If I have HPV or cervical cell
changes, what can I do?
Remember that HPV is very common and that most HPV infections
will go away on their own. See your doctor for your health check-ups.
If you have cell changes or if you have HPV and ASC-US cell changes,
your doctor will tell you to get other tests.
Will I always have the HPV
virus?
We do not know. We do know that HPV either goes away, or
cannot be found, within 1 to 2 years. This happens in about 9 out of
every 10 women.
Will I give HPV to my partner?
Can I prevent this?
Condoms can help prevent HPV, but HPV may be present on skin
that is not covered by the condom. It is possible to keep passing HPV
back and forth from partner to partner. The only way to completely
prevent giving or getting HPV is by not having vaginal, oral, or anal
sex.
What should I tell my partner?
You may want to let your partner know that HPV is a very
common virus and that most people who have sex will get HPV. Most
people do not even know that they have it. If they do, they usually do
not know when they got it or from whom.
Most of the time, HPV has no symptoms and goes away by itself
within 1 to 2 years.
Can my husband or boyfriend be
tested for HPV?
There is no HPV test for men at this time.
What are my chances of getting
cervical cancer if I have HPV?
Women who have HPV and a normal Pap test result have a very
low chance (about 4%, or 4 in 100) of getting abnormal cells that need
to be treated or removed within the next 6 to 12 months. The chance of
getting cancer is much lower than that. On the other hand, about 60%
(60 out of 100) of women who have HPV and a normal Pap test result will
not have HPV 6 months later, and many more will not have HPV after 12
or 18 months.
How common is HPV?
At least 8 out of every 10 women who have ever had sex will
get HPV at some time in their lives. HPV is most common in young women
who are in their late teens or early 20s.
Will HPV affect my pregnancy or
my baby?
HPV does not affect pregnancy or the chances of getting
pregnant. If HPV leads to cervical changes that need to be treated, the
treatment should not affect your chances of getting pregnant.
HPV is rarely passed from a mother to her baby. The rare cases
where this has happened do not involve the types of HPV that can cause
cancer.
Both my Pap test and my HPV test results were normal. Why
should I wait 3 years to get tested again? Is that safe?
Cell changes in the cervix happen very slowly. It usually
takes more than 10 years for cell changes to become cancer. Women with
normal Pap and HPV test results have almost no chance of getting
cervical cancer within at least 3 years.
One of the benefits of testing for HPV is that women may not
need a Pap test as often. Getting the Pap test and HPV test every 3
years means fewer tests, follow-up visits, and treatments may be
needed. There is no added safety to getting both the Pap test and the
HPV test more often than every 3 years.
American Cancer Society
Guidelines for Early Detection
• You should begin cervical cancer testing about 3 years after
you start having sex, but no later than age 21. Testing should be done
every year with the regular Pap test or every 2 years using the newer
liquid-based Pap test.
• At age 30, if you have had 3 normal yearly Pap test results
in a row, you may get tested every 2 to 3 years. Or you may get tested
every 3 years with the Pap test plus the HPV test. Some women with
certain risk factors may still need to be tested every year.
• If you are 70 years of age or older and have had 3 normal
Pap tests in a row and no abnormal Pap test results in the last 10
years, you may stop getting tested. Discuss this with your doctor or
nurse.
• If you have had a hysterectomy with removal of the uterus
and cervix, you may stop testing, unless the surgery was done as a
treatment for cervical cancer or pre-cancer. If you still have your
cervix, you should still be tested.
• Some women believe that they do not need exams by a health
care professional once they have stopped having children. This is not
correct. They should continue to follow the Society’s guidelines.
Remember:
• HPV is a very common virus. Most men and women who have ever
had sex will get HPV at some time in their life.
• Some women over age 30 may choose to be tested for HPV as a
part of their normal health visit.
• Having the HPV test will NOT tell you if you have cervical
cancer. The Pap test is the best test for finding cervical cancer or
changes in the cervix.
• There is no treatment for HPV. There are treatments for
changes in the cervix that may be caused by HPV.
• Women who get an HPV test with their Pap test and find that
both tests are normal do not need to get tested again for 3 years.
• Having HPV does NOT mean you will get cancer. Most of the
time the HPV virus goes away by itself.
Other resources on HPV and
cervical cancer
American Cancer Society
For a copy of our publication What Women Should Know
About Cervical Cancer and the Human Papilloma Virus, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or
view it
online.
Other organizations
American Social Health Association
Telephone: 919-361-8400
Web site: http://www.ashastd.org (http://www.ashastd.org/hpvccrc/)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Toll-free number: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)
Web site: http://www.cdc.gov
( http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm)
National Cancer Institute
Toll-free number: 1-800-422-6237 (1-800-4-CANCER)
Web site: http://www.cancer.gov
(http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/types/cervical/)
National Cervical Cancer Public Education Campaign
Telephone: 312-578-1439
Web site: http://www.cervicalcancercampaign.org
Women’s Cancer Network
Telephone: 312-578-1439
Web site: http://www.wcn.org
No matter who you are, we can help. Contact us anytime, day or
night, for information and support. Call us at 1-800-ACS-2345 or
visit www.cancer.org.
Revised: 01/18/2008
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