Hi, I had my first smear recently which came back showing high risk HPV and mild changes to my cells (low grade dyskaryosis). I have been in bits since, I don't understand a lot of this and I feel like a lot of the advice out there really contradicts others. Can somebody please answer my questions and help because this is really impacting me mentally :-(
1) Has anybody managed to get a negative test result for HPV after having been given a positive in the past?
2) Once your cells have changed does this mean you won't be able to get rid of the HPV?
3) If I have no symptoms of this, can I infect somebody else?
4) Does anybody have any advice on what I can do to try to clear this? I have altered my diet and removed all meat, cut out alcohol completely, I don't smoke.
HI! I was also recently told I had HPV and changes and had my colposcopy a few weeks ago.
I was told by my consultant that many many women have HPV. The way the smear test is done was only changed in November where they test for HPV first (I think)! I don’t know if I can help answer any of your questions, but just wanted to say I felt exactly the same as you. I was very angry and upset, but after I spoke to this consultant it helped. I have no symptoms. I also frantically read up about changing diet etc, but I think it is a case of waiting for your immune system to clear it. I have started taking extra vitamin c (i’d read sambucol was very good as it has lots of things in it, brought one bottle for like £15 and didn’t last long). I really don’t think you need to drastically change your diet, but that’s just my view, I got myself so worked up about it I knew if I put loads of effort into trying to get rid of it by drastically changing something unless a professional told me to then I would just pay attention to the worries and probably make myself worse (as in, get more anxious about it), but that’s just me!
The information pages on Jo's explain hpv in more detail. You will see from the information below that I have now tested negative at my test of cure which means (I think) that it has now become dormant (but as I understand it they will still keep an eye on me in case it becomes active again). It is quite a confusing virus to understand but the new screening means they are more likely to spot cell changes & treat them before they have a chance to become more sinister. The best thing you can do is take care of your immune system & also inform yourself as much as possible. You are being monitored & looked after by experts in the field which is a good thing.
I still feel quite shocked & confused by it all & have wobble now & then. Jo's helpline is good.
Hi again - just to add 80% of people have the virus at some point in their lives but most people's immune systems fight it off naturally & they don't know that they had it. In some cases (like mine) it can lay dormant for many years & then become active again. Even doctors don't know why but that's why they monitor us & ask us to attend screening. I take vitamin c & zinc every day as well as vitamin D & also try to eat a healthy diet & get my sleep.
To try and answer your question 3: Being infected with HPV, whether it is active or dormant, does not cause any symptoms so it's not easy to know if or when you may pass it on. If you test negative, it can mean you have no virus or that you have a dormant virus that may reactivate at any time or you may acquire a new infection after the test. Conversely, if you test positive the virus may become dormant or possibly be completely cleared from the body within maybe weeks or months. So it is complicated and really not worth the worry of wondering whether you can pass it on - the important thing is to keep up to date with your cervical screening and it's generally beneficial to have a healthy lifestyle.
It's good you don't smoke - there is evidence to show there is a link between smoking and an increased risk for cervical cancer. As you don't eat meat make sure that your diet is balanced in other ways. If you really don't miss alcohol that's fine, personally I'm not convinced about the value being tea total if it feels like a penance - a little bit of what you fancy does you good. I've always had a healthy lifestyle and I still got cervical cancer - my mistake was to stop going for smear tests (I'm pretty sure that if I'd had the benefit of knowing I was HPV positive I would have continued with screening)
The great thing about identifying women with HPV is that it means the health service will monitor you more closely, which should mean the chances of ending up with cervical cancer are significantly less than before the recently introduced HPV primary screening programme. It is estimated that HPV primary screening will result in 500 fewer cervical cancer cases pa in England in the coming years:
I too have been given the very awful and scary news of hpv + and CIN 1 (low grade). On my very first smear how awful!! From what I've researched and I've been told our bodies are more likely to clear the virus within 2 years and the cells may revert on their own. I am clinging onto this fact. I was told to wait 6 months and go back for another smear and colposcopy to see if they have gone back to normal. I am at the half way mark,I go back in May and I am so nervous. I am really really hoping they regress. To try and help my body clear this I have been supplementing AHCC,Vitamin A,Folate,Green tea capsules Beta Glucan,hopefully this may help you too and give our bodies a fighting chance. Sometimes it's reassuring to hear others are in a similar boat,keep us updated and good luck xx
Hi, here is my understanding, I hope it helps. You can have HPV and it can be cleared by your body. So cleared never to come back again or cleared and dormant in your body to perhaps come back at some point. Which is why keeping up with your smears is very important. I had HPV and server cell changes, I had a loop procedure done to remove the cells and the test of cure smear 6 months later was negative (clear of hpv and no cell changes). I have had a normal smear 3 years later, and I am currently waiting for my most recent results.
HPV is kind of like the coldsore virus in how you can carry the virus and never even know. The majority of people who have been sexually active will have it at some point in their life. If it is passed to men it doesn't affect them like it does women.
If you have not had the cells that have changed removed, your body can still clear the hpv (depending on your own immune system), sometimes they won't remove them when they are only mild changes because the body can fight them changes and get them back to normal.
Hi all, I got in from work tonight to a letter telling me that not only did I have hpv but that I have high grade cell change. What with fears of coronavirus and now this I'm in pieces. I feel dirty and ashamed about having hpv and scared about the smear test results. I'm having some symptoms, bleeding in between periods and also bowel problems. I don't know what to do
I’m so sorry to hear this my daughters just had her smear test back and hers is high risk hpv with low grade mild changes and I’m crapping myself for her, I completely understand how you feel, I’ve read a little about hpv and think trying to boost your immune system would help hun, I know I’ll be saying the same thing to my daughter. Sorry I can’t help with any other advice but I’m sure loads of ladies on here have been or are going through similar situations I hope they can offer you some advice, would say though try not to stress I know it’s probably easier said than done, there is a helpline phone number here I’m sure they would be very supportive and may be able to answer some of your questions, sending hugs
