What's the point in the new method of testing smears if you haven't changed partners?

[BounceAndClimb]

I'm hoping someone will be able to correct me, but as I've understood it HPV is passed sexually, so of you're with the same sexual partner then surely the new method where they only do further tests if you're HPV positive is pointless?

I've just had my result of HPV negative, so when I go for my next smear test provided I haven't slept with anyone else wouldn't it be guaranteed to be HPV negative again, meaning they still won't do any other tests on the sample?

I wondered this. It also assumes your partner doesn't get it from anyone else.
It makes me slightly nervous that there is then nothing to pick up the 10+% of cancers that aren't related to HPV.

The Hpv virus can lay dormant for many years before it causes problems

Forgot to add when it lays dormant, it's undetectable so that's why they test for it each time incase of an outbreak