Positive HPV smear…cheating husband?

[BananaHamock]

Hi all. So, I’ve just received smear results and they show I’m positive for HPV (and have cell changes…) Besides spiralling at needing a colposcopy, I’m now desperate to hear how you can get HPV without intercourse/skin to skin contact.

Dr. Google seems pretty insistent that’s the only way. So is the only conclusion my husbands playing away?

HPV can lay dormant for years and not show up on tests. It's not proof of anything other than at some point, you've been exposed to the virus.

If he’s been your only partner ever then could be from a previous partner of his. Can be dormant for years.

How long have you been together? HPV can be dormant for 10-20 years.

It could be you were initially infected at a previous point in your life, it has laid dormant in your system, and has reactivated for some reason. Your husband may not have it, or have ever had it.

Were you both virgins when you got together? If not then I don't understand your assumption?

I've not had sex for four years yet tested positive for HPV last year. As previous posters have said it can lie dormant in your system for years

I received a positive result having only had sex with women for 10 years (had slept with men previously)....so, it could be it's lain dormant for many years, that's what my gyny told me.

I suppose it depends on how long you've been together and how many other sexual partners you've both had in that time. He may have had the virus from a partner before you.

Also, I've had three colcoscopies. Undignified? Yes. But they were about as painful as a smear.

Good luck 💖

Been together 15 years, married 10, I lost my virginity to him. I’ve had multiple smears during this time. Would it not have shown up in one of those?

No, not necessarily. It only shows on a smear test when it's "active". He could have easily caught it from a previous partner, or you could have caught it from oral sex etc.

I unexpectedly had this result also last year. Only ever been with one sexual partner and confident dh has not cheated. As others have said it can lie dormant for years.

Not necessarily. Men aren't tested for HPV so he could have had it hanging around for years and never known, then passed it on to you where it hung around dormant for a few more years before now.

No, it wouldn’t have necessarily shown up. As pp said it can lay dormant. Also, a smear will only pick up the cells which it has swabbed, so they could have been missed.

It’s not a STD that he’s caught and given to you that you now suddenly have. It’s something you could have had since the day you lost your virginity with him.

Huge leap to conclude a cheating husband!

I also had a positive test after years of being fine. H did have an affair. I channeled MN and sent him straight to the clinic. We are now divorced nine years later. Doctor said I didn't need to look at my husband. Someone said it could have been because I slept with someone. Also, it could just be that they test it now. I'm confused as I have regular smear, every three years I think.

I've been with dh for about 30 years and had a positive hpv test last year after never having a positive test before. It can lie dormant and doesn't mean anyone is cheating. When I had a retest this year there was no hpv found as my body had cleared it. Maybe you've had it before but it wasn't detected and subsequently cleared as there are several years between smear tests.

There has to be a first time. Sounds like this is it.

Unless DH was also a virgin when you first got together and had also never participated in oral sex, you can’t draw any conclusions. Given your own virginity I understand that this is a bit disconcerting, however

I'm confused as I have regular smear, every three years I think.

It doesn't matter - HPV can lay dormant for years, and it only shows on smears when it's "active". It's not an STD in the sense that chlamydia is.

Also its only recently they started testing for hpv at all so in the past they just looked for cell changes. They only check for cell changes now if hpv is found in the sample.

Thank you.

Do You know what activates it or is everything just a coincidence?

They're still researching it, but they think it could be caused by a low immune system or hormonal changes. Or possibly just one of those things!

It's why it's so important to get your smears even if you've never changed partner, as HPV can show up at anytime and cause changes to your cells.

Looks like hpv was tested for routinely in England from 2019 and Scotland from 2020 so before that it was just cell changes that were looked for

A shit couple of years might work !

I wouldn't blow up your life over this. Do you have any other reason to think he cheated ?

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/human-papilloma-virus-hpv/

Its very common and can be passed on easily and not just through sex

Same thing happened to me op. Had a positive result despite only having been with my partner at the time for almost 13 years. But I did have sexual partners previously, so i tentatively took it as a very dormant virus. In my case it would be irrelevant really if he’d cheated as I left for other reasons but it’s still a bit 🤨 to me that it popped up in the death throes of our relationship.

Is it better that they looked for cell changes as opposed to now just checking for HPV?

So could women be suffering anxiety unnecessarily as opposed to the past when you knew bugger about having HPV and only concerned yourself with cell changes?

Just wondering.