Has anyone had HPV?

Question

I had to get a biopsy of my cervix today because an abnormal pap smear came back showing pre-cancerous cells. Needless to say I'm a little nervous about the idea of cervical cancer. At any rate, I had my biopsy done today. They took 3 tictac sized chunks of my cervix to examine. I'm still in agony. Is this normal? When should the pain subside? Does anybody have any good resources abut HPV and cervical cancer in general? Thanks.

Answer 1

I had the same thing happen about 1 year ago. The biopsies came back with slight changes. I went back 6 months later and there were no abnormalities. A very large percentage of women have HPV. There are two types, one that can cause cervical cancer and one that causes gentital warts. One of the reasons why it is so common is because men very rarely show any symptoms unless they have warts and men are not tested for HPV, thus they have a tendancy to pass it with out knowing. I have heard that a women can test positive for HPV and then later on test negative for it, but I am not sure if that is true.

Answer 2

Since you are a guy, I am sure you are not the one that had this done........

Maybe it is your fiance that is talking????
HPV is the most commone STD and 93% of women have it according to my OBGYN. They do not have numbers on men because there are no tests to do on men. Guys are carriers and do not even know it. They can tell only if they develop the warts, but they can have it and not even know it or develop the warts. That is why HPV is so common. My OBGYN suggests that not just girls get the vaccination, that boys do too. He says that the vaccine only protects against 4 strains of the virus, and that there are over 30 strains of the virus. If you have one strain, and your partner has one, or you have multiple partners, you could reinfect yourself with other strains.

I have HPV and have had so many biopsy's of my cervix and vaginal canal, I don't remember. I have never had the warts and I have never developed cancer. In fact, I have had 2 laser surgeries to removes the cells inside. They were going to do a third and decided to wait and see. After 10 years of this, it finally cleared itself. I have had 3 normal papsears for the first time in ten years. There are over 30 types of the HPV virus. Your body can clear the infection on its own. Your body can have the HPV live dormant and never show any symptoms. Your body is showing symptoms and this can be fixed as mine seems to have been, thankfully. Here is a website on more about it. I copied and pasted part of it. :http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm
Some of these viruses are called "high-risk" types, and may cause abnormal Pap tests. They may also lead to cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis. Others are called "low-risk" types, and they may cause mild Pap test abnormalities or genital warts. Genital warts are single or multiple growths or bumps that appear in the genital area, and sometimes are cauliflower shaped.

Most people who have a genital HPV infection do not know they are infected. The virus lives in the skin or mucous membranes and usually causes no symptoms. Some people get visible genital warts, or have pre-cancerous changes in the cervix, vulva, anus, or penis. Very rarely, HPV infection results in anal or genital cancers.

Most women are diagnosed with HPV on the basis of abnormal Pap tests. A Pap test is the primary cancer-screening tool for cervical cancer or pre-cancerous changes in the cervix, many of which are related to HPV. Also, a specific test is available to detect HPV DNA in women. The test may be used in women with mild Pap test abnormalities, or in women >30 years of age at the time of Pap testing. The results of HPV DNA testing can help health care providers decide if further tests or treatment are necessary.

All types of HPV can cause mild Pap test abnormalities which do not have serious consequences. Approximately 10 of the 30 identified genital HPV types can lead, in rare cases, to development of cervical cancer. Research has shown that for most women (90 percent), cervical HPV infection becomes undetectable within two years. Although only a small proportion of women have persistent infection, persistent infection with "high-risk" types of HPV is the main risk factor for cervical cancer.

A Pap test can detect pre-cancerous and cancerous cells on the cervix. Regular Pap testing and careful medical follow-up, with treatment if necessary, can help ensure that pre-cancerous changes in the cervix caused by HPV infection do not develop into life threatening cervical cancer. The Pap test used in U.S. cervical cancer screening programs is responsible for greatly reducing deaths from cervical cancer. For 2004, the American Cancer Society estimates that about 10,520 women will develop invasive cervical cancer and about 3,900 women will die from this disease. Most women who develop invasive cervical cancer have not had regular cervical cancer screening.