high risk hpv - Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Message Board

chanel21 · 08-15-2007, 09:33 PM

Im 21 and i just had a pap done and it came back abnormal and my hpv test came back positive for high risk hpv...dose this mean I might have cervical cancer???

Nicole246 · 08-15-2007, 11:36 PM

Good question.. I was diagnosed with high risk hpv 3 weeks ago and asked my doctor the same thing. I was a nervous wreck!! Dont worry though.. The doctor said that if you take care of yourself (ie..keep your immune system up, dont smoke, dont drink etc..) you shouldnt get cervical cancer as a result of having hpv. Also, I had the cryosurgery done today which freezes all of the abnormal cells on my cervix. I would ask your doctor about doing this because I have heard from many people that if you get this done and stay on top of your paps you should be fine. Just make sure you keep your immune system high so that it can fight off this virus..its very important.

Again, dont worry! I cried for days after I found out I had high risk hpv because I didnt know any information about it. I feel so much more at ease now thanks to msg boards like this one. I really hope this helps

Nicole

mom2nik2002 · 08-16-2007, 09:11 AM

Not necessarily. Having a high-risk strain of HPV just means that you have a higher chance of cervical cancer than a person that does not. This does NOT mean that you will ever get cervical cancer. It typically takes a long time for your cervix to even show pre-cancerous cell changes and as long as 10 years for those pre-cancerous changes to progress to cervical cancer....if they even do. The chance that you have cervical cancer based on one abnormal pap is highly unlikely. What were the pap results? Just HPV or did the pap come back with ASCUS (Atypical Cells of Undetermined Significance), LSIL (Lowgrade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion), HSIL (Highgrade...)? ASCUS, in terms of abnormals paps, is the *best* to have. The results don't even mean you have cervical dysplasia as a host of things can cause ASCUS results. LSIL and HSIL (as does CIN I, II, and III) means you have varying degrees of cervical dysplasia ALL of which are treatable with procedures that have high success rates and low recurrance rates. If your pap came back as more than ASCUS, he/she might suggest a colposcopy. This is similar to a pap. A larger speculum will be inserted in your vagina to get a clear view of yoru cervix. Your doctor will apply an acetic acid solution on your cervix (vinegar). Areas of abnormal cells will turn white with the application of the vinegar. The whiter the areas, usually the more abnormal. Your doctor will then take biopsies of the abnormal areas for pathological testing. The biopsy results are considered the "Gold Standard." The pap is ONLY a screening tool and the results should be viewed as such until a biopsy is performed. If your pap was ASCUS, your doctor will likely only suggest you come back at 3-6 months for a repeat. More often than not, the results will then be normal.

I hope this helped answer some of your questions. Let me know if you have any more. I've been going through this for over 2 years and have done oodles of research. I had HSIL and had a LEEP cone biopsy in July 2007. I just received my first abnormal pap since--ASCUS. I'm awaiting a repap.

Elle