hpv I'm so confused?

Question

Like 5 months ago i went to the doctor for a pap. It can back positive for HPV so they sent me to a dysplasia clinic and the doctor told me that the HPV went away. like a couple weeks ago i went back to the doctor for a pap and it came back abnormal and i guess the HPV virus came back and this stuff is really freaking me out because the doctor told me that the HPV that i have can cause cervical cancer. Is there anything i can do or take to stop this virus from coming back?... im so confused please help

Answer 1

The visible symptoms can go away with medications but it is still in your system. The HPV virus, usually lasts a couple of years in your system until your body becomes immune it it. HPV can cause cervical cancer, but if you have your regular paps, they can keep an eye on your cells, and fix anything before it gets to that stage. So if you keep up with your paps you should be fine. I doubt that yours went away then came back again before your next visit. The doctor may have meant your actual physical symptoms may disappear. They are not as specific as they should be. My ex boyfriend and i both had HPV and we were told so many different things by doctors, but we did research and found out about it. After around 2 years we were both clean. But around 80% of people will get HPV in their lifetime, so it is really common. And most people dont even get physical symptoms.

Answer 2

First of all, don't be scared! Unfortunately, you will have HPV for the rest of your life, it will not go away. But that absolutely does not mean you will necessarily develop cervical cancer. Because you are getting regular pap smears, even if you do get cervical cancer the early detection will allow them to treat it. Cervical cancer is a big problem in under-developed countries because women can't get treatment, here it is rather manageable. HPV is a very common virus with many different strains. Don't feel tainted or dirty, the majority of women will contract some form of the virus in their lifetime. Make sure you keep getting your yearly checkups and do the followups your doctor suggests.

Answer 3

HPV is nothing to freak out about. It can be devastating at first as it was for me because mine caused genital warts. Some strains can cause cervical cancer, but most likely what u have won't. I had HPV with genital warts about 2 years ago. I got a prescription cream from my doctor and the warts cleared up within a few weeks and never came back and at my next pap smear six months later there was nothing abnormal or any trace of hpv. If you have warts or still have abnormal pap smears you should use protection when u have sex with ur boyfriend, but hpv is not that serious and is nothing to end a relationship over.

Answer 4

Think of this virus similiar to a cold virus --- You can get colds from different viruses and different types of the same virus. You get sick, your body fights off the virus and hopefully when you get exposed to the same cold virus again you don't get it again. However, sometimes you do get a cold again, whether from the same type or another type of the same virus or a different virus all together... Also, just like a "cold" can lead to something more serious i.e. pneumonia, bronchitis if not fought off by your immune system, certain types of HPV can cause cell change that could possibly lead to cervical cancer - it's POSSIBLE but NOT LIKELY. That's why follow-up is important with HPV - getting more frequent PAP's help determine if your body is fighting it off or not (most people's do.)
kinda simplified version but helped me understand HPV infection.
Eat healthy and use condoms with sex...

Answer 5

There are several forms of HPV, some cause genital warts, some cervical cancer and some your body can fight off (then it lays dormant because its a virus it stays in your system forever). Whatever you do, don't stop getting Pap tests and do them as frequently as the doctors say so that they can closely monitor everything, best of luck

Answer 6

No, there is no way to keep the virus from coming back.

HPV is with you for life. There is no way to cure it.

It may go dormant at times, but it will come back.

Be sure to get regular paps especially now that you have HPV. The doctor will keep an eye on your paps. This way he/she will be able to help stop any abnormalities or cervical cancer, should it develop.

You'll have to be very careful with sex as well and avoid skin contact with your vulva with your boyfriend/husband to prevent him from getting HPV (if he doesn't already have it - which he could). Get your boyfriend/husband tested.

Answer 7

You asked this question yesterday hun. Just google HPV and you should have all the answers you need. And for the person who said you have it for life, that's a lie. It usually goes away after 2 years. It did for me. I'm fine now. My immune system attacked the virus.

Answer 8

Have you had the Gardasil vaccine?

There are numerous different strains of the vaccine, and even if you do have one of them, that does NOT mean that you WILL develop cancer - you may have a genetic "resistance" to it. There is plenty of more advance information on HPV on the web, but here is a link to information on cancer that explains why that even if you are infected, you may never actually get cancer: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=curriculum.chapter.316 - hope it helps.

One thing you can do is simply to live a healthy lifestyle - that helps a lot more than anything else in the prevention of the onset of "advanced" cancer.

Answer 9

Hun, you need to get back to the doctor and ask all these questions and take this all very seriously. Also educate yourself. Google HPV

Answer 10

Talk to your OB, she can make recommendations on the next step. Additionaly, not all test results are final, consider the possibility of a false positive. Getting bi annual paps is also a good idea. Good luck. Also, check webmd for more info on the issue.