Need answers about HPV?

Question

A friend of mine was diagnosed with HPV. She had a procedure done to freeze the cells that were discovered. Since then she has claimed that her doctor told her not to worry about her yearly pap because after several clear pap tests they said she no longer has the virus. I thought HPV was incurable. I know the symptoms can be treated...but was I misinformed and it is curable???

Answer 1

I find it strange that her Doctor would have told her that. Even if the virus cleared up, every women should have a yearly pap. If her Doctor told her that, then it is time for her to find another Doctor and get a Second opinion. Below I have pasted some information about HPV for you and your friends.

How can someone reduce the risk of getting HPV?
Any one who is sexually active can come across this common virus. Ways to reduce the risk are:

Not having sex with anyone.
Having sex only with one partner who has sex only with you. People who have many sex partners are at higher risk of getting other STDs.
If someone currently has abnormal cell changes, he or she should not have sexual activity until after the cells have been treated or have self resolved. This may help to lower the risk of transmission.
Condoms (rubbers), used the right way from start to finish each time of having sex may help provide minimal protection - but only for the skin that is covered by the condom. Condoms do not cover all genital skin, so they don't give 100% protection.
Spermicidal foams, creams and jellies are not proven to act against HPV, but they work against some other STDs. These are best used along with condoms, not in place of condoms.
If someone was exposed to the types of HPV that can cause abnormal cell changes, it would be unlikely that he or she will become re-infected with those same types since immunity will be set-up at some point.
Realize that most people are exposed to one or more HPV types in their lifetime, and most will never even know it because they will not have visible symptoms.
It is important for partners to understand the "entire picture" about HPV so that both people can make informed decisions based on facts, not fear or misconceptions.
How are abnormal cells treated?
Currently, there is no treatment to cure HPV; there is no cure for any virus at this point. However, there are several treatment options available for treating the abnormal cells.
Sometimes treatment may not even be necessary for mild cervical dysplasia . These cells can heal on their own and the health care provider will just want to monitor the cervix. HPV may then be in a latent (sleeping) state, but it is unknown if it totally gone or just not detectable.
The goal of any treatment will be to get remove the abnormal cells. This may also end up removing most of the cells with the HPV in them.
If the abnormal cells are treated, or if they have healed on their own, it may possibly help reduce the risk of transmission to a partner who may have never been exposed to the cell-changing types of HPV.
When choosing what treatment to use, the health care provider will consider many things:
location of the abnormal cells
size of the lesions on the cervix
degree or severity of the Pap smear results
degree or severity of the colposcopy and biopsy results
HPV test results (if this test was needed)
age and pregnancy status
previous treatment history
patient and health care provider preferences
There are a variety of treatments for cervical dysplasia:

Cryotherapy (freezing the cells with liquid nitrogen).
LEEP (Loop Electrosurgical Exision Procedure)
Conization (also called cone biopsy)
Laser (not as widely used today due to high cost, lack of availability, and not all doctors are well-trained with using it. LEEP is more commonly used)
No treatment at all since even mild abnormal cell changes may resolve without treatment. The health care provider may just monitor the cervix by either doing a colposcopy, repeat Pap testing, or a test for HPV.
What about pregnancy, HPV, and cervical dysplasia?
For some pregnant women, cervical dysplasia may increase. This may be due to hormone changes during pregnancy, but this is not proven.
If a woman has an abnormal Pap smear during pregnancy, even if it's severely abnormal, many health care providers will not do treatment. They will just monitor the cervix closely with a colposcope during the pregnancy.
Sometime (a few weeks) after delivery of the baby, the provider will look at the cervix again and do another Pap smear or another biopsy. Many times after pregnancy, the cell changes will have spontaneously resolved - and no treatment will be necessary.
The reason that many health care providers do not want to do treatment during pregnancy is because it may accidentally cause early labor.
The types of HPV that can cause cell changes on the cervix and genital skin have not been found to cause problems for babies.
What about HPV and Other Cancers?
Anal dysplasia and anal cancer:

Anal cancer is a rare occurrence that has been strongly linked to "high-risk" types of HPV.
Abnormal cell changes in the anal area (anal dysplasia or anal neoplasia) are more common among individuals who engage in receiving anal sex.
However, anal dysplasia has also been reported in some females who have a history of severe cervical dysplasia
Treatment is available for anal dysplasia and anal cancer
Penile Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PIN) and penile cancer:

Cancer of the penis is extremely rare in the United States, and HPV is not always the cause
There are some cases of cell changes (neoplasia) on the penis, which are caused by "high-risk" types of HPV.
Most males do not ever experience symptoms or health risks if they get one or more "high-risk" types of HPV.
Penile neoplasia can be treated.
There is not a cancer screening for the penis because cancer of the penis is extremely rare, and because it is difficult to get a good cell sample from the penis.
Vaginal Intraepithelial Neoplasia (VAIN) and vaginal cancer:

HPV has been linked with some, but not all, cases of cell changes in the vagina and with vaginal cancers.
Various treatment options are available for vaginal neoplasia, depending on how mild or severe the cell changes are in this area.
Vulvar Intraepithelial Neoplasia (VIN) and vulvar cancer:

HPV has been linked with some, but not all, cases of cell changes on the vulva (outside female genital area) and with vulvar cancers.
Various treatment options are available for vulvar neoplasia, depending on how mild or severe the cell changes are in this area.
Is it normal to feel upset about HPV?
Yes, it is normal. Some people feel very upset. They feel ashamed, fearful, confused, less attractive or less interested in sex. They feel angry at their sex partner(s), even though it is usually not possible to know exactly when or from whom the virus was spread.

Some people are afraid that they will get cancer, or that they will never be able to find a sexual partner again. It is normal to have all, some or none of these feelings. It may take some time, but it is important to know that it is still possible to have a normal, healthy life, even with HPV.

**Good luck to your friend**

Answer 2

HPV is NOT curable. It is treatable, but there is no cure. Some people are able to rid the virus but this is really rare.

I have had HPV for 5 years now and I developed cervical cancer from it when I was 17 years old! I have been battling it ever since! I go every 4 months and have had 2 abnormal paps, the one turned into cervical cancer. HPV is very serious for women.

If she has already had an abnormal pap she is prone to having more. She really needs to be going AT LEAST once a year.

I don't know why her doctor would tell her this but it is not true! She should have a pap every year if she has HPV. 300,000 women die every year from cervical cancer so it is very important that she does this!

Answer 3

If her Doctor told her that she does not have to have her pap's done, then it is obviously time for a change. HPV is a virus that you are stuck with for life. Over 70% of the population is infected, but it is still important to inform your partners. There is a vaccine that is now available, but it is too late for your friend, and millions of other people. The good news is that IF your friend does get her paps done, then the cervical cancer can be caught early, greatly improving her chances. It is not something to worry about, nor dwell on. The important things are; Get the warts removed when the appear, to get a more up to date Doctor, to inform her future partners and most importantly to get her Pap's done. As this site is NOT a substitute for a health care professional, I suggest that she consults with another Doctor. Take care!

Answer 4

HPV is totally uncurable, and the vaccine is to prevent NEW infections only. If your doctor told your friend not to worry about the yearly pap smears done, then hes an idiot because HPV is a leading cause of cervical cancer in women, as well as pap smears can dectect other things that could be wrong (such as other STDs, such as gonorrhea (although I'm sure thats not the best way of testing for STDs)

My advice, get some information from a source you can trust, and find another gyno for her.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_papillomavirus

Answer 5

She should still have her yearly pap because HPV isn't the only cause of cervical cancer. I'm not sure if the freezing kills the virus or only the warts,but I've had it done and had a few abnormal paps over the last 16 years, but luckily when retested, everything has been ok.

Answer 6

You do know herpes has nothing to do with warts or HPV right? 1. There is no kind that makes sex painful. 2. Treatable yes. Curable no. 3. It can and usually does resolve itself just like most other viruses. 4. No. 5 No.

Answer 7

Not curable...but often times the virus will "go away" on it's own. There are only a few strains that cause cervical cancer.

I'd still get a yearly pap though if I was your friend. If she's sexually active (and obviously she is) she could be reinfected with something else. It's good to play it safe.

Answer 8

According to the American Social Health Association, there is a vaccine to help to prevent the virus from creating a cancerous outbreak, but not a cure. The NIH says that "Although treatments can get rid of the warts, none get rid of the virus. Because the virus is still present in your body, warts often come back after treatment."

Answer 9

What the doctor told her was that her chances of having CERVICAL DYSPLASIA again would be rare. You can never get rid of the virus, but after having the dysplasia it is rare to get that again. Also, she should be getting a pap every six months for about 2 years, and then can return to having a yearly one.

Answer 10

not curable. needs a pap EVERY year irregardless of having HPV or not.

Answer 11

I have it. There is no cure. It can be treated, and the symptoms may never surface again, but that does not mean it is cured. I am male though, so I don't need to worry about cervical cancer.