Detecting HPV—Those PapTests Are Important

Tempted to skip your yearly Pap test for cervical cancer? Don’t!

It’s often the only way to find out if you have the human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes virtually all cases of that cancer.

In some women, HPV makes itself known through outbreaks of warty growths on the vulva or in the vagina. “But most women don’t have any symptoms except cell changes on the Pap test,” says Richard Boulay, M.D., gynecologic cancer specialist at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Having HPV doesn’t mean you’ll develop cervical cancer; the odds are exceedingly low. But you may need more frequent checkups.”

Talking about HPV can be uncomfortable, but millions have the sexually transmitted virus. Once exposed, a person will have HPV for life. It can be passed on to a partner even when there is no outbreak, and the virus can lie dormant for years before activating.

There are dozens of subtypes of HPV, some more dangerous than others. It’s becoming more common now for a woman with abnormal Pap results to be tested for subtype. If she has a high-risk strain, she’s referred to a specialist like Boulay.

For most women, genital warts are more a nuisance than cause for panic. HPV outbreaks often clear up on their own. “But we advise treatment to prevent warts from going through other cell changes,” says Cheryl Lichner, nurse practitioner at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. Warts can be removed in the doctor’s or practitioner’s office, or at home with a new medicated cream (Aldara). Researchers are now testing a cervical cancer vaccine aimed at the high-risk strains of HPV.

ARTICLE TOOLS: