Dignosed with HPV-16 strain - feeling upset

[HeadSpace1]

I found out yesterday that I have HPV-16, one of the 2 strains of HPV that is a major cause of cervical cancer, not really sure why I'm posting, I guess I'm faced with the lifelong threat of this over my head, smears every year and procedures over and over to remove changes. I'm a bit numb to be honest, and in a grumpy mood - according to my Husband - he just doesn't get it tho.

In some ways I want to change my lifestyle to eat healthier etc and do all the things I'm supposed to do to get myself as healthy as I could be, to be in with a fighting chance against cancer, but on the other side I'm like, what's the point, I'm probably going to end up with cancer anyway.

Having HPV doesn't necessarily mean that is your future

My smear result was the same about 5 years ago and I felt exactly the same! Now I don't even think about it...honestly! I had the treatment and every smear has been clear since, I'm now back to every 3 years! I know how worried I was at the time but honestly, give it time and I promise it isn't the big deal you think it is now!

I had an abnormal smear and my blood test showed HPV three years ago. I had a colposcopy and nothing abnormal was found. I was told that I wouldn't need any extra smears.

I just had another smear (I'm pregnant in a country where they seem to love to do smear tests in pregnancy). All clear and no HPV. Like any other virus your body fights it off.

You have lots of company, a quick Google shows:

About 14 million new genital HPV infections occur each year (4). In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that more than 90 percent and 80 percent, respectively, of sexually active men and women will be infected with at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives (5).

HPV-16 alone has a prevalence of 18% in US women.

AppleMagic that's so true...I spent days googling when I first found out and I was surprised to learn that!

It's a shocker, isn't it. I wish I was young enough to have the vaccine but am pleased my body has cleared it now.

I must have had it already for at least 9 years, as that's how long I've been with my husband, in the last 5 years since I finished having children, I've had 3 abnormal results 2 of those burning off cell procedures and 1 colposcopy removal things under General. they only just tested me for HPV last smear, not sure why they just thought of it, I've been having smears every year for the last 6 or so, I'm in New Zealand, not the US or UK

I think it's only in the last few years that they started testing for HPV alongside smears in the UK. I remember them explaining it as a "new thing" at my one three years ago.
It must be really shitty to go through all those procedures Headspace but it sounds like they are keeping a really close eye on you with the yearly smears so very unlikely any cell changes will get the chance to progress.

It must be fucking stressful though. I remember feeling irrationally angry at DH (irrational because I have no real way of knowing I got it from him as apparently it can lay dormant for a while and I had relationships before him where we hadn't used barrier protection). It just seemed unfair that he didn't have to go through all testing and stress too.

Will you get a chance to speak to the doctor about it? Get a sense of what the probabilities are?