To think I may as well ignore my invite for cervical screening

[annlee3817]

I don't take this lightly, but I am HPV negative, I had CIN2 in 2014, and the abnormal cells were removed. I believe that now if I go for a smear, they will test me for HPV and if still negative, they won't check for abnormal cells.... So what is the point in me getting a smear? I thought having had CIN2 they'd check mine on that basis, but apparently not... My cousin had CIN3 and also HPV negative 🤷

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, why eould you not go for an important check on your health.
Women in many countries would love to be able to access a service such as this for free, to be able find early symptoms before it's too late.

Bewilderedandhurt · Today 08:45
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, why eould you not go for an important check on your health.
Women in many countries would love to be able to access a service such as this for free, to be able find early symptoms before it's too late.

quite a few people upthread have said what there is to lose and why they don’t go. It’s facile to play the ‘just be grateful’ card.

Is this serious? Why even take the risk, there is a reason they are inviting you for another one

Just do the at home test from Superdrug.I’ve no plans to go back to the physical apt with the nurse- and even if I tested positive at home I’d probably retest before I raced to an apt. The way people get so feverish about this on MN is bizarre. And I find it infantilising that the change that was made to pre- test samples for HPV and discard if negative wasn’t communicated to women- almost as if we couldn’t be trusted to make a decision based on the facts…. 🤔

Sexual assault is depressingly commonplace and also difficult to disclose, especially on a globally-readable website. It's not unreasonable to suspect that the OP may be affected by this and temper your response accordingly. Many victims struggle to attend smears after sexual assault, would you describe those women's refusal as "evolution in action"? What if I told you that the chance of OP being a sexual assault victim were 10-25%? You were needlessly cruel and Scotch was justified in calling you out on it.

That's what I thought.

You could be HPV negative for 20 years and then it flares up.

@Menora yes, I definitely will.

I just don't understand why my body doesn't seem to be clearing the HPV.

Everything I read says it can lie dormant and can flare up if immune system is low or something, and most ppls bodies can clear it in a year.

But I always seem to have it 🤷‍♀️ wonder if I should speak to doctor.

You could have hpv and it's just subclinical and undetectable until it flares up - apparently 8 out of 10 of us are like this. I went recently and was told I was positive, not been sexually active for 4+ years so must have had the infection for a while, just not picked up.

You can be infected with more than one strain of HPV. There are 40 that affect the genitals. The vaccine covers the 9 most serious.

If we go on the current facts. At my last smear I was told I would be tested for hpv and if negative the sample would be discarded. So if you want to buy a at home hpv test your basically doing the same test. OK the nurse can possibly see some people cervix to eyeball it or check for prolapse. But surely the logic of a at home hpv test is sound? It's not the same test as when Jade Goody was alive. Things have moved on and if your negative no one will check any cells

I have been raising the issues with just testing the HPV status for years. I'm glad it's more common knowledge. FWIW I have just received an appointment for my 5-year smear and will be attending. My cousin died from cervical cancer.

I was hpv negative but had CIN3 that needed treatment. I do worry about the new smears because if this happens again it will likely be missed. I can see this going horribly wrong imo

Ah I get it. It didn’t happen in your case, therefore nobody should bother. Makes total sense.

This is my situation too. Last two smears I had were positive for HPV, no abnormal cells, so I'm on yearly recall at the moment. Im early 40s and have been with my DH for 8 years. Admittedly, the previous smear I had was quite a number of years before I met him (I was naughty and used to ignore the invite letters because I hate it) but that didn't detect anything at all - albeit I believe they didn't even actually test for HPV then. So goodness knows when I picked it up, years and years ago, whether it was dormant and became active again or whether it's just always been active and my body just can't clear it I don't know. I'm due to book a test actually (again, have been putting off a bit as I find them painful) but I guess is a year and a half since my last one so know I need to) - I just really really hope it's negative this time as I hate that I need to go for yearly tests.

I had no idea about any of this. I feel so ignorant. I’ve just had a look on Cancer Research Uk and saw that transwomen (if they have the same sex lives as gay men) can get the vaccine free up until 45 as can transmen. Why can’t women?

I’d rather have the jab, but don’t get why I have to pay as a woman?!

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/infections-eg-hpv-and-cancer/the-hpv-vaccine

If you don't mind my asking, if there were no cell changes why did you have a colposcopy? - was it just to be sure because the HPV had been positive for a number of years? (Reason I ask is I'm wondering whether I'm in the same boat, whether it will be suggested I have a colposcopy or whether it's something I should ask about if still HPV +).

Meant to say also good luck with the biopsy results.

It's not an STI test, not having sex since your last one is irrelevant. HPV can lie dormant for years. Being HPV negative after one test doesn't mean you always will be.

It's not worth ignoring it, if you miss something by the time you do find it you may be too late. Why would you take that risk?!

Not even remotely what I said though is it ?

I had to have a LLETZ procedure a few years ago and was HPV positive at the time. I’m now back to three year smears and have had two negative HPV results since then but I will ALWAYS go back. I’d go every year if I could. Like other people said, what if the HPV is lying dormant? I’ve only had one sexual partner in all that time but what if we’re passing the HPV back to each other? What if all the abnormal cells weren’t got rid of the last time and took hold again? I’m too old to have had the vaccine. I think you’re being very short sighted, especially if you have had abnormal results before. Cervical cancer is one of the (if not the most) common cancers in young women

This with bells on it!!!
The ignorance shown not only on this thread but other threads relating to HPV is astounding. It's like people think only those who shag about can possibly get it. Just because you've not had sex in 3 years (how?!) doesn't mean you won't test positive for it

Having had CIN2 in the past I am also appalled that the NHS are no longer carrying out actual smear tests, just HPV ones. Surely women are going to die because of this?

Honestly, who the fuck do you think you are?

My sister had a smear, HPV negative. 1 year later she was diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer. Within 18 months she died.

The change to HPV only means it's an incredibly intrusive exam without much merit for many women who aren't sexually active. That's not evolution doing it's job, that's misogyny in action.

Even if it was a paid for option, women should have the right to request a full examination is made on their smear sample. That it's not is beyond shameful.

Just out of interest. For women who’ve had a positive hpv test, did you refrain from all sexual contact until you were negative again? My understanding is you can catch it whether you have penetrative sex or not, so condoms wouldn’t necessarily stop it?

Yeah basically I’d tested positive for HPV for 3 years in a row so they wanted a colposcopy to be done so they could investigate further. They told me the body normally clears it by itself within 2 years in the majority of people. I know it’s only in the last few years they’ve been testing for HPV tho so it makes me wonder how long the HPV may have been there undetected IYSWIM