HPV positive at 56 following smear.

[salsamad]

Hi. Just wondering if anyone else has had a HPV positive result/no abnormal cells following a smear?
All my previous smears have come back fine, last smear was 2017 pre them being checked for HPV.
I am happily married for nearly 27 years & only slept with one other boyfriend pre husband & used condoms so am bemused & concerned that I’ve tested positive.
I understand that HPV stays in your system/lies dormant & can flare up - much like chicken pox/shingles virus and then when this occurs your cells are more at risk of changes.
I will have a repeat smear in a year to check cervical cells/HPV status but is there anything I can do to reduce or improve the HPV - I never had the vaccine as wasn’t available when I was younger & they don’t give it past age 45.
Would be grateful if any help, advice & support as am quite worried.

Hi @salsamad, thought I'd link to a thread where HPV was discussed the other day, there were some suggestions near the end of supplements that are showing some promising results with regards to immunity and helping boost this and hopefully helping to clear HPV:

Persistent HPV www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/4456391-persistent-hpv

I'm only 33 but I think the vaccine wouldn't be possible anyway as already have had/still have HPV. But I'm going to start giving those supplements a go.

I do worry about it a bit but there's not a lot that can be done- I think it helps to remember that the vast majority of people will come into contact/contract HPV over their lifetime. It's good you go for your smears- that's already a massive step in keeping you healthy.

Thanks @LumosSolem have posted a couple of questions on that thread.
Do you know if whilst testing HPV positive you should use condoms - even with long term partner?

I think your husband should get checked.

@salsamad I've attached a photo from the back of my smear test result- not sure if yours had the same info so thought it may be helpful!

If you and your husband haven't been using condoms anyway then I don't think it's necessary- well basically I think it may be shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted! It says in the info on that letter that you dont even have to tell anyone you have HPV- that info is produced by the NHS. In your position, I would explain to your husband and make sure he understands about HPV and see what his thoughts are. It says that condoms don't always prevent the spread anyway. It's possible that he already has it/may have had it many years ago and passed it to you- it really is impossible to know but I think it's worth bearing in mind the info on the back of that letter which I think is quite reassuring really.

[Image removed by MNHQ at poster's request]

Hi op, I also had a positive HPV cervical screening result last week.

I am 43 and had the same sort of questions as you so i rang and spoke to my GP who reassured me. As someone said above, she said that I could have had it for years and it's only now they test for HPV as a possible pre-cursor to cervical cancer that this is being picked up.

She also said that something like 80% of people have it or have had it at some point without even knowing and that most men who have it will never know as there is no routine test for men. So the comment about your DP being tested is incorrect - there is no test they will do.

It's not treated as an STI, although it is passed on through sexual contact and standard STI tests won't pick it up.

There is 10 years roughly between a positive HPV result and possible cervical cancer, so I have been told to go back for another smear test in a year and it will either have gone on its' own, or still be there, in which case they may refer me for further tests/procedures. It commonly clears up itself though, hence not doing anything for a year.

I told my partner and he was fine, but then he could have passed it onto me!

@Tempusfudgeit for what ?

I asked mumsnet to remove the pic as it was identifiable (didn't originally notice- doh!)

But basically what sunshine has said sums it up far better than I did and the letter I posted basically said very similar! It specifically said that you do not have to tell any partners etc if you choose not to. Whilst sexually transmitted, it's not classed as an STI and for the majority of people it isn't an issue.

I hope you feel reassured now OP. It's great they test for HPV these days- even if it does cause a bit of worry- they have so much knowledge now on who is most at risk and can monitor and treat accordingly.

Thanks for your replies everyone 😊.
I have also looked at the HPV guidance and advice on the Jo’s Trust website and found it really helpful.
I’ve screenshot the info that states couples in relationships can keep reinfecting one another - so if you manage to boost your immunity & suppress the HPV or get rid of it, if your partner still has HPV or it flares up in them (impossible to know as men are not tested) then it can get passed back again.

That makes sense really doesn't it @salsamad. If you're trying the mushroom supplements maybe your DH could too?

But basically I don't think it is something that you should be worried about- something to be aware of and obviously go for your smears when called and all that- which is likely to be all you need to do to stay healthy.

My first ever smear was borderline, so I paid to have an hpv test - they were a very new thing at the time and I wanted to know how worried to be. That came back positive for high risk hpv. My next smear was CIN1, then back to normal 6 months after that. For the next 10 years my smear results would fluctuate between normal and CIN1 every 6 months, so I never had any more than a year between smear tests, but also never got a colposcopy. I then went from normal smear to CIN3 in less than a year, following 2 pregnancies relatively close together, so probably slightly immune suppressed. After treatment, back to normal smear and an hpv negative result. Around another 10 years later, after a long run of normal smears (after treatment, you get more regular smears for quite a long time - at least annual), another hpv positive result but clear smear, then hpv negative again a year later. Basically, imvho, once you have high risk hpv, if your body does not clear it very rapidly straight off, you could get flare ups at any point for the rest of your life, but even then, most people with high risk hpv do not develop cancer, especially if they ensure they always go for their cervical screening when called.