2nd HPV+ smear result - how common?

jamontoastaddict · 2022-11-11T19:45:12+00:00

I've just had my second hpv positive result and for me thinking. First time I was about horrified and ashamed but read over "80% have this at some time in their life" and would be invited back to see if my natural immunity fought the infection. So my question is how many % smears are HPV positive and how many % still have it after a second smear a year later. I've tried but I can't find the information.

wishuponastar1988 · 16/11/2022 03:33

Just had my second positive result too. Had my smear October 2021 and then a repeat October 2022s. Feeling abit worried to be honest. Not sure on % though

thewallisblue · 16/11/2022 04:39

I’ve had 3 in a row, I don’t worry about it much now tbh.

lovelilies · 16/11/2022 07:53

I've had it twice, once in early 20s (thank goodness they did smears over 20 back then as I had CIN3 and subsequent LLETZ) and again near 40, not sure if it was dormant in me or passed on to me in the meantime

Original poster

jamontoastaddict · 16/11/2022 18:04

@wishuponastar1988 it's confusing isn't it?

I want to know the stats so I feel full informed. I can't believe 80% of smears come back positive

@thewallisblue the should refer you for a colposcopy if you have three positive HPV test (in England)

@lovelilies I know of several women who had this too age 21, 22. Alarming isn't it.

OP posts:

wishuponastar1988 · 16/11/2022 18:23

jamontoastaddict · 16/11/2022 18:04

@wishuponastar1988 it's confusing isn't it?

I want to know the stats so I feel full informed. I can't believe 80% of smears come back positive

@thewallisblue the should refer you for a colposcopy if you have three positive HPV test (in England)

@lovelilies I know of several women who had this too age 21, 22. Alarming isn't it.

Yes it's really confusing. I had CIN3 cells 11 years ago that needed and I'm just really worried now.

Sunshineandflipflops · 18/11/2022 14:52

Hi, I've also just had my second positive result. I am feeling quite fed up to be honest as have spent a year with low level worry about it until I could have another smear test and now I have to go through it all again.

I am also confused as from what I have read, HPV is passed on sexually although is not a STI, yet when I said this to the nurse who did my second smear last week, she said it's not passed on sexually and is a virus that your body can pick up when you are run down and will clear itself in most cases.

I think the info is so unclear around HPV.

mummyh2016 · 19/11/2022 10:16

I'm in the same situation. I asked the nurse what happens if my third one is positive and she said I'll probably get referred.

shannonhinton0421 · 30/11/2022 16:20

mummyh2016 · 19/11/2022 10:16

I'm in the same situation. I asked the nurse what happens if my third one is positive and she said I'll probably get referred.

I'm in a similar situation, I had my 1st smear after my 1 year old son was born when I was 25, and it was hpv positive, had another this year, found out i was pregnant last week, unfortunately I had a miscarriage on Sunday, had my results today and they have now referred me straight to a gynaecologist for a colonoscopy, I have to wait 6 weeks due to my miscarriage. From what I've read online the miscarriage is more than likely caused due to being hpv positive which has broke my heart. I'm so confused I don't feel like anyone is telling me any information or nothing and now I've had a miscarriage and god forbid anything worse comes back after my appointment in January.

Bex4567 · 10/04/2023 22:22

How did u get on after

tresleches · 12/06/2023 22:04

I had a smear today, after two HPVs in a row, and asked the nurse all about the above. She said just because they are testing for HPV now, they are still testing cells for abnormalities, it's not a substitute or used as a proxy.

She also said that HPV is so common and in so many different forms that it could be a different one each time, so it isn't assumed it's the same HPV (and that something therefore is "getting worse") and therefore can't be used as a proxy anyway.

She seemed to have had to explain it to a few people. It's not what I remember the nurse saying the first smear after the system changed, so either crossed wires or she didn't understand the system either. I hope that helps, it's been on my mind since reading this thread.

mummyh2016 · 13/06/2023 06:26

tresleches · 12/06/2023 22:04

I had a smear today, after two HPVs in a row, and asked the nurse all about the above. She said just because they are testing for HPV now, they are still testing cells for abnormalities, it's not a substitute or used as a proxy.

She also said that HPV is so common and in so many different forms that it could be a different one each time, so it isn't assumed it's the same HPV (and that something therefore is "getting worse") and therefore can't be used as a proxy anyway.

She seemed to have had to explain it to a few people. It's not what I remember the nurse saying the first smear after the system changed, so either crossed wires or she didn't understand the system either. I hope that helps, it's been on my mind since reading this thread.

I'd say it's more likely this new nurse doesn't understand the system. The NHS clearly state online and when you get your smear result letter that they don't look for abnormalities unless you're HPV positive. Unless it varies by area I can't see any logical reason why a random nurse would know something completely different.

tresleches · 13/06/2023 22:37

Sorry I wasn't clear, she meant that those receiving positive HPV results are also having cells checked for abnormalities. People on this thread were concerned that they were repeatedly HPV positive and could have abnormal cells that weren't being tested, at least that was my interpretation.