Can you be HPV positive and then negative?

Can you be HPV positive and then negative?

HPV is a very common virus: About one quarter of women going through college will be exposed to HPV during their college years. In most cases, your body will effectively fight the HPV virus; most women with a positive HPV test will eventually have a negative test result.

Why would HPV come back positive?

Results from your HPV test will come back as either positive or negative. Positive HPV test. A positive test result means that you have a type of high-risk HPV that’s linked to cervical cancer. It doesn’t mean that you have cervical cancer now, but it’s a warning sign that cervical cancer could develop in the future.

What does it mean when your HPV test comes back negative?

HPV DNA tests can identify certain types of HPV that put a woman at increased risk for cervical cancer. Unlike a Pap test, which returns a result of normal, abnormal, or inconclusive, the HPV test generally comes back as either positive or negative.

Can a Pap smear lead to a positive HPV test?

There is nothing different about your pap smear when we test for HPV – we use the same cell sample that we do to look for cervical cell abnormalities. These days, most OB/GYNs will test for some of the most common, “high risk” HPV strains when you come in for your routine pap smear, and this can lead to a positive HPV test result.

What does it mean when your pap test comes back positive?

If your Pap test results came back positive, it doesn’t mean you have cervical cancer. More likely it means: Your health-care provider (HCP) found a possibly significant change in the cells on or just inside of your cervix. Repeat. It doesn’t mean you have cervical cancer. In fact, you probably don’t.

How long does it take for a HPV test to clear?

HPV spreads through sexual contact and is very common in young people — frequently, the test results will be positive. However, HPV infections often clear on their own within a year or two. Cervical changes that lead to cancer usually take several years — often 10 years or more — to develop.

Your HPV test will come back as either “positive” or “negative.” A negative HPV test means you do not have an HPV type that is linked to cervical cancer. A positive HPV test means you do have an HPV type that may be linked to cervical cancer.

Can a positive HPV test indicate cervical cancer?

A positive HPV test result indicates the detection of HPV type that might be prone to cervical cancer, but it is not an indication that you have been diagnosed with cervical cancer.

What does a negative Pap test mean for cervical cancer?

In rare cases, an abnormal Pap test can show that you may have cancer. You will need other tests to be sure. The earlier you find cervical cancer, the easier it is to treat. An HPV test result can be positive or negative. A negative HPV test means you do not have an HPV type that is linked to cervical cancer.

Is it normal to have normal Pap smear with positive HPV?

There is no point in stressing out because your Pap smear is normal. That is very important. HPV is implicated in causation of cervical lesions, including cervical cancer, but just because you have HPV does not mean you will have cervical cancer.