To not know they did this at a smear test

[ILoveBray]

Came back from mine today, and they are now adding in HPV screening. Not sure when this was added, but I'm pretty sure I didn't have it 3 years ago.

Think this is such a good idea, as if you have HPV you have a higher chance of getting cervical cancer.

Not really an AIBU, more a reminder to book in for your screening if it's been more than 3 years

This post was edited by MNHQ at OP's request

Surely they’re only testing those over 25? Anyone under will have had the HPV vaccine and therefore immune?!

I had "wart virus changes" on my second smear when I was 25 (1980s) & they've all been completely normal since.

It seems they've been looking for / noticing HPV for a long time.

For those asking if you still need to be tested for HPV/have a smear if you have had the vaccine, the answer is YES.
There are lots and lots of types of HPV, only two/four/nine types are in the vaccine (depending on which one and when you had it). They are the ones most likely to cause cervical cancer, but there are others. Some HPV types barely cause cancer, some cause genital warts, some are more likely to cause cancer.

If your clear of HPV virus you’re basically not at risk of cervical cancer. Hence the reason they now vaccinate our daughters. Thank heavens they will not require 3 yearly cervical screening.

@PurpleDaisies, so does that mean in the HPV is negative then you DEFINITELY won't have cancerous cells? Or just probably won't? I had my last smear 2 years ago and said they were just testing for HPV. The results were clear so they said they wouldn't bother testing for abnormal cells. This worried me a bit tbh. I've had 3 lots of abnormal cells. Ist lot had a colposcopy and then had them 'burnt' away. Went for smears every 12 months after that and at the last test at the end of the 3 years they noticed abnormal cells again. Went for another colposcopy and this time they 'froze' the abnormal cells. Several years later had more abnormal cells, went for another colposcopy and they did a biopsy of some of the cervix. I'm worried that the HPV test could come back clear but there might be something going on inside that doesn't show with just that test?

Genius, you're thinking exactly the same way I'm thinking.

But purpledaisies will reply that it's a proven effective test.

We're all telling her that we suspect it's not, but who are we mere mortals women when it's cost cutting in the NHS..........

I can see a massive scandal or 10 arising out of this change shortly.

I really don't think that the change has been communicated effectively. People think (certainly the impression I was given) that the HPV test was in addition to the normal smear test. Not that it was replacing it.
I don't think women are aware of this.

Anyone know how to tag on twitter to LBC or Sky News to see if it's common knowledge?

I got my colposcopy/biopsy results 3 weeks later (they had said 2 weeks).

We're all telling her that we suspect it's not, but who are we mere mortals women when it's cost cutting in the NHS..........

I am also a woman. This is not cost cutting. There is a huge study showing this way of testing is better at stopping women from dying than the old way. You can go and read the evidence if you want.

so does that mean in the HPV is negative then you DEFINITELY won't have cancerous cells?

No test can tell you you DEFINITELY won’t have precancerous cells. None.

Testing for HPV first means more precancerous cells that need treatment are identified than looking at cells on slides.

I had mine last week and the nurse didn't mention anything about HPV testing. I know there are changes being made to the screening but not exactly what.
I had a few colposcopies in the 00s; at the first one they took a biopsy and I know that was tested for HPV (was negative) .

If they were doing it in addition, fine. But they're not.
And a test for precancerous cells will show up precancerous cells!
That's how smears have been done for years!
Genius has stated she had precancerous cells with no HPV. Bad enough to require them to be removed.

If she had only had the HPV test, she'd be dead.
Riddle me that!

I had mine two weeks ago (worcs) and I'm sure they hadn't said HPV screening previously. The nurse actually sounded unsure of it because the way she said it was 'basically you can have hpv all your life and not know and then suddenly you've just, y'know, got it' which suggested to me it was a relatively new test as she didn't sound 'well rehearsed' iykwim. It made it sound like everyone will develop 'it' (whatever it is) at some point, which is obviously not true.

I had my first one done in SW London in 2015 it came back positive for HPV and I’ve had a test every year since! It’s definitely not new! It must be regional! I’ll add I had the HPV jab in school so that clearly did it’s job...

If they were doing it in addition, fine. But they're not.
And a test for precancerous cells will show up precancerous cells!
That's how smears have been done for years!
Genius has stated she had precancerous cells with no HPV. Bad enough to require them to be removed.
If she had only had the HPV test, she'd be dead.
Riddle me that!

Sir Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said:
It’s a huge step forward that the government is now introducing the HPV test to improve cervical screening. Testing first for the human papilloma virus will help prevent more cervical cancers, as it can pick up the cancer-causing infection before any abnormalities can develop in the cells.

You know better than Cancer Research?

Question for those who know more:

I presume if I were tested for Hpv I’d have cleared it by now (20 yrs with the same man), so I’d be tested negative anyway and no further action would be taken because even if I’d had it my immune system would have cleared it years ago?

Yes, but what if the precancerous cells are already there! And no HPV detected!

Juniper, that seems to be the case.

@MNHQ Would you mind reading through this thread and seeing if this is something you could get clarification on, on our behalf?

@Purpledaisies Can I ask your qualification to comment on this?

There was a thread on this a few months ago where someone had posted links that said:

Research has now proven that 99% of cases of cervical cancer are in women with HPV
And that 1% isn’t picked up by routine smear tests because it’s a rare form that doesn’t show up in the smear

So if a woman rests negative for HPV, they can categorically state she won’t have precancerous or cancerous cells picked up on a smear and therefore doesn’t need one

It also means that with proper HPV vaccination, cervical cancer can be almost entirely eradicated which is why it is absolutely essential girls get their jab

Would you like to see my medical degree? I don’t practice any more but I’m a doctor.

This article probably explains the rationale for the change most clearly...

www.cancer.gov/news-events/press-releases/2014/HPVscreeningPredictor

For me, I had CINII and lletz treatment in 2005. I was then on yearly smears for about three years, all clear. I was then put onto 3 yearly smears. At no point did I know, whether I've ever had HPV. The first I heard of HPV being present was last year. A high risk strain of it apparently, with mild changes detected. I will not be called for a smear again for 3 years. Could well be dead by then! Jade Goody died fairly quickly!
I think this is disgraceful. I feel they've totally gone about this in an underhand manner. There was no public awareness campaign whatsoever.