Eliz52

The risk of contracting HPV from your mother would be very low...and most people clear the virus over a couple of years anyway. Women in lifetime mutually monogamous relationships need to be very careful with pap testing - it is fairly high risk for no/little benefit. The lifetime risk of cc is 0.65% while the lifetime risk of referral for colposcopy/biopsy is 77% in Australia thanks to serious over-screening and early screening - the lifetime risk is even higher in the States.

The fact is...40% of those under 30 are HPV positive, but by age 30 that number drops to roughly 5%. No country in the world has shown a benefit pap testing those under 30, but all have evidence of harm as young women produce the most false positives. HPV testing is not recommended either as many would test positive while cc in this group is very rare. So, pap testing and HPV testing don't help those under 30 and the latter just leads to lots of worry and unnecessary and potentially harmful intervention.

Young women in Finland and the Netherlands are advised to see a doctor with any persistent and unusual symptoms - pap testing sadly, does not chance the tiny incidence rate in those under 30 - you just send lots of young women for unnecessary biopsies etc and the rare cases of cancer still occur...Finland has the same number of cases in young women as the States and Australia, the latter countries pap test young women. So, there is no benefit, only risk, worry and harm.

Evidence based programs are best for all women - the Finns offer a 6-7 pap test program, 5 yearly from 30 to 60 and refer far fewer women and have the lowest rates of cc in the world - the Dutch have the same program and will shortly move to a new one - 5 hrHPV primary triage tests offered at ages 30,35,40,50 and 60 and only the roughly 5% who are at risk will be offered a 5 yearly pap test.

The vast majority of women are HPV negative and will be offered the HPV primary testing program. Those women HPV negative and confidently monogamous or no longer sexually active can forget all further testing. There is also a self-test HPV device being used by the Dutch and in Italy, Singapore and elsewhere, the Delphi Screener. The English can use Tampap.

This program will save more lives and spare countless not-at-risk women from unnecessary pap testing, excess biopsies and potentially harmful over-treatment. (which can damage the cervix and lead to miscarriages, premature babies, c-sections etc)

If women in lifetime mutually monogamous relationships wanted further reassurance they could self-test for HPV. As a low risk woman my risk of cc is near zero, the risks were too high for me and I have always declined pap testing. Routine pelvic and breast exams are not recommended here, I'd have refused them anyway.

I recently also declined mammograms - they are of little benefit, but lead to significant over-diagnosis. Nordic Cochrane Institute, "The risks and benefits of mammograms"