Hi all
I was wondering if anyone had any experience or advice on my smear results. My history is:
- First smear - HPV positive but no abnormal cells
- Second smear - same result
- Third smear - No HPV found
- One year later I then did an at home HPV test from Superdrug and it came back positive.
- I had my annual smear test just 3 days after receiving the at home results and it said no HPV found.
Does anyone have any experience with at home tests and their reliability? There is obviously a discrepancy with one test saying HPV positive and the other saying no HPV.
I am worried that the smear test was incorrect and some abnormal cells may have been missed (as I understand if no HPV is found it is not sent on for testing for cells).
Any advice / thoughts would be really appreciated! Thank you 
Hi @Jessica1
Home HPV tests are just as reliable as the NHS ones, there is the possibility that on rare occasions as with any test there can be false negatives and false positives but it is rare… its more likely that there may not even be any discepencies, HPV is known to come in and out of dormancy so it is fairly possible thats whats happened even though its so close together… there isnt really much you can do untill your next smear as they wont just repeat for our peace of mind and they dont accept home HPV results, only possible thing if you have the money is to go for another smear privately, even if you could convince your GP to do one the lab will reject it as its not due xx
Thank you @Tinkerbelle29 that is really helpful I might wait 3 months and then get another smear privately just for peace of mind x
Hi
I know this is an old post but I had a bad experience with Superdrug at home hpv test kit and I could give you some information if you’re still worried? I also had normal nhs smear positive Superdrug then another normal nhs smear them negative Superdrug
Superdrug test for more HPV types than NHS
Hi
You will actually find that the one the NHS use in Scotland actually picks up all the Superdrug strains as well, it’s because they have the same genetic make up as the other strains, it also picks up some low risks ones as well and that’s actually on the information booklet for the one the NHS use, I managed to get it online and it has it under cross reactions with other types, I don’t think I would of had negative nhs positive Superdrug then negative nhs and negative Superdrug all in the space of two weeks, the at home tests have a higher rate of false positives and are not even approved in the uk, total waste of money and cause nothing but anxiety for the user. Superdrug are very rude and actually changes all the wording on the website because I complained, (knew they were in the wrong) they state they test for more strains than NHS but in Scotland anyway that’s not true, also your GP will not accept results from them whatsoever, I was just lucky enough to be allowed another smear test and Superdrug let me repeat free of charge which was negative thankfully, it states on the website possibly of false positive, it’s basically a money making scheme because they then offer vaccination if positive, I certainly won’t be using them again that’s for sure
1 Like
My gynecologist said NHS doesn’t pick up all , but superdrug gets more. But I guess the superdrug is less accurate simply because you do it at home and we are not trained.
Hi all
Thanks for your responses. Just to update you, I waited a few months and then paid for a private smear test which came back HPV negative. So it might have been that the hpv was coming in and out of dormancy or it might have been a false positive as others have mentioned.
I’d be interested to hear your approach to monitoring HPV going forward? As my test came back negative the letter said to just re test in 3 years, but that seems too long for me! Maybe because I’ve tested before but I’d be scared to wait 3 full years.
Your gynaecologist is right to say that NHS doesn’t pick up all strains, it’s only for high risk, but luckily the test that is used by the NHS cross reacts with some low risk strains and also Superdrug test for other strains that are actually classes as low risk, like you say less accurate and also it’s has to be done manually in the lab because it’s not a proper smear so human error can unfortunately occur.
Hi Jessica1, I think you have had a false positive the same as my self, I had treatment in 2010 (lletz) for cin2 but I do suffer from bad health anxiety and that’s why I used Superdrug, used them since 2018 and had negative results and then had that one positive then a negative smear which thankfully the NHS allowed me to repeat due to my health anxiety and then further Superdrug was negative, I don’t think hpv goes in and out of dormancy like that at all, my “positive” Superdrug was jan the 13 then negative smear was in the feb then negative Superdrug in the august, most people will actually clear the virus with no issues, I was pregnant before my treatment and I think that’s why my body was taking longer to clear the virus, now if it was the same situation I wouldn’t even get treated straight away they would let me see if I could clear the virus first then investigate, I have spent hours and hours researching about at home hpv they are definitely less reliable and also have higher false positive rate because of the way they are done, stick with your NHS results and I know it might be hard but using private clinics will just make your worry more, definitely don’t use Superdrug one again, they didn’t like what I had to say and even changed all the wording on their website when I let them know that the NHS actually picks up on most of the strains they claim to test for, please don’t worry about HPV your body does a good job of clearing the virus.
