Pap smear result question - any women's health folks here?

[Anonymous]

Question: I tested positive for high-risk HPV last year but with a normal Pap, so I was asked to come in for a one-year (not three-year) follow-up. My HPV result is in but ... no Pap!!
The HPV is now negative! Hooray! Could I safely hope that my Pap will once again be normal since it was last year and my HPV is gone, or could it have progressed to something sinister despite not having HPV any more? I only tested positive for HPV once in my whole adult life, at my last appointment.
Thank you! I hate portal-checking!!!

[Anonymous]

Wait until the pap comes back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait until the pap comes back.

That's not really what was asked. Of course you have to wait until it comes back.

[Anonymous]

I’m a little confused about the sequence of events but did you have any procedures to remove the cells with HPV? I don’t believe it can just magically disappear, correct? Or were you given something to help clear from your body? Does the vaccine do that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a little confused about the sequence of events but did you have any procedures to remove the cells with HPV? I don’t believe it can just magically disappear, correct? Or were you given something to help clear from your body? Does the vaccine do that?

Most sexually active people of a certain age have HPV. Sometimes it flares. Your body usually just clears it. Your cells don't have HPV. Your cells can have pre-cancerous changes if HPV persists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a little confused about the sequence of events but did you have any procedures to remove the cells with HPV? I don’t believe it can just magically disappear, correct? Or were you given something to help clear from your body? Does the vaccine do that?

Most sexually active people of a certain age have HPV. Sometimes it flares. Your body usually just clears it. Your cells don't have HPV. Your cells can have pre-cancerous changes if HPV persists.

Thank you explaining for that. Confused because a friend had some procedure on her cervix to remove cells following an HPV diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a little confused about the sequence of events but did you have any procedures to remove the cells with HPV? I don’t believe it can just magically disappear, correct? Or were you given something to help clear from your body? Does the vaccine do that?

Most sexually active people of a certain age have HPV. Sometimes it flares. Your body usually just clears it. Your cells don't have HPV. Your cells can have pre-cancerous changes if HPV persists.

Thank you explaining for that. Confused because a friend had some procedure on her cervix to remove cells following an HPV diagnosis.

They probably also had an abnormal Pap smear. Just having HPV alone doesn't give you an abnormal smear.

[Anonymous]

bump?

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised you didn't have a colposcopy and a biopsy following your abnormal result.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised you didn't have a colposcopy and a biopsy following your abnormal result.

Why? The Pap was normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised you didn't have a colposcopy and a biopsy following your abnormal result.

You don't do a colposcopy and biopsy for a normal Pap result. What would you be testing? You just wait a year.

[Anonymous]

Hey OP, I had the exact same thing happen to me. I’ve never had an abnormal PAP and I tested positive for HPV exactly once—15 years into a (promise, guaranteed!) monogamous marriage. I tested again twice, two years in a row, and have never gotten another +. Dr says I can go back to a 3-year cycle for paps but I’m inclined to do a couple more annual ones, just in case.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Same here! If you have a negative HPV you almost certainly won't have a worrisome Pap result.

[Anonymous]

You should be fine. If the pap is normal you are good to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey OP, I had the exact same thing happen to me. I’ve never had an abnormal PAP and I tested positive for HPV exactly once—15 years into a (promise, guaranteed!) monogamous marriage. I tested again twice, two years in a row, and have never gotten another +. Dr says I can go back to a 3-year cycle for paps but I’m inclined to do a couple more annual ones, just in case.

Good luck!

This exact same thing happened to me. I'd been married for 20 years, always had normal Paps, and then BOOM: high-risk HPV! Fortunately, my Pap was normal, so I just had to repeat the test within the year. My dr. wanted to confirm that the HPV would clear on its own, and it did. Apparently it flares during stress. My mother had just died, so it made sense. It definitely freaked me out though.