Posting on here as nightmare trying to get through to GP surgery last week to discuss results and feeling worried.
I had my routine smear test about 4 weeks ago and got the results letter back middle of last week saying that I don’t have any abnormal cells but they detected HPV in the sample so they want me to go back for another smear in 12 months time to see if my immune system has cleared the virus and to test for abnormal cells again if it is still there. This has come as quite a shock, my previous smear in 2018 when they had just started screening for HPV came back HPV-. I have been in a monogamous relationship with my current partner for 15 years now (I’m 37), prior to that I had 3 previous partners, used condoms with all of them. The letter said it can take your immune system 1-2 years to clear the virus, does this mean that it completely gets rid of it, or just drives it into some kind of dormant state of remission so it can flare up again? As I’m aware I may have caught it years ago from a previous partner or my partner my have caught it from one of his former partners. Also I have had an inflammatory issue with my eye (GP thinks this could be related to rheumatoid factor although no problem with my joints) for the past few months and I’m wondering if this has affected my immune system and caused dormant HPV to flare again. I guess I’m looking for some reassurance that my immune system is still going to be able to fight the HPV at some point before it can cause abnormal cell changes. In the meantime should my partner and I be using condoms to avoid passing it back and forth to each other, and I read that the pill can increase the chances of HPV lingering so should I be looking into a different method of contraception in any case?