HPV

[Twospaniels]

Daughter was one of the first batch of schoolgirls to get the HPV vaccination. Now she’s 25 she’s just had her first smear test and it’s come back with positive for HPV and some other cell changes. She has to go for a colposcopy at the hospital and is very worried.

Two other women she knows her age have come back with HPV positive but have to have the smear done again in a few months time. Not called for a colposcopy. One of them said her nurse said they have a lot of first time smears come back with HPV in women who had the vaccination.

Anyone know why this would be?

Daughter is worried, but we read the leaflets and I think all should be ok, but obviously it’s good to get it checked out.

I had the vaccine later on in life paid for privately and was screened for HPV before I received it because they wouldn't give it to me if I had any HPV. 7 or 8 years later I had my first abnormal test & HPV and had to have a colposcopy- one year on my repeat has come back normal again :) unfortunately there is over 100 types of HPV and the vaccine only covers a few of the most likely cancer and watt causing strains - I'm sure she will be absolutely fine and her body will clear it within a year x

Aww thanks Mumma. I’m glad all is well for you now.

Only 2 types of hpv are cancerous about of hundreds of types.

That's not strictly true but types 16 and 18 that the jab protects you against are responsible for about 70% of cervical cancers so that's why they say you still have to attend smear tests

There are lots of strains, or she may have already had it before she had the jab - it won't cure, only prevent. If you're already infected it can come back many times over a lifetime.

The good news either way is that the majority of times the body just clears it on its own. So she will probably need a colp, another smear in 12 months, and then hopefully it will be fine and back to every 3 years.

Thanks everyone. She has the colposcopy tomorrow morning.

She had the colposcopy today and has some changed cells which are pre cancerous. But she does not have cancer. The nurse reiterated several times that it is not cancer. They have sent off two biopsies and she will get the results in 4-6 wks. They may say leave it and have another smear test in 12 mths or they may call her back to remove the changed cells.
She was upset when she came out of the clinic, but I think she was a little overwhelmed.
She’s ok now and we will await the next step.
Thanks all.

@Twospaniels exactly what I had hun, they will either just leave it and retest in a year or maybe treat the cells with the loop treatment, reassure her this is so common, amongst my friends who haven't had the jab because we are that bit too old, loads of them have had the treatment. With me they left it a year and it just reverted to normal, also as long as u stay in the screening program the likelihood of actual cancer development is so low, cervical cancer is usually slow hence why we have these screenings at the intervals we do xxx

She may feel better if the cells are removed. I'm sure she'll be ok but it is so worrying