Faye

 I was diagnosed with HPV three years ago, and I too was very concerned and upset when I was told. I had never heard of it before and was worried about cancer risks etc.

After looking into it though I can say I am much more positive about it.

There is some evidence to suggest that although you carry it throughout your life you can fight it to a point where it lies dormant and can re occur in waves, like a cold sore virus.

There is also things you can do to boost your immune system and keep it at bay so to speak, google AHCC/ vitamin C for HPV treatment, there is evidence of a few clinical trials that have eliminated the virus in some women.

In some ways knowledge is power and you know now. do the treatment research, look after yourself, eat well and exercise and that's all you can do !

and remember that although HPV is the cause of many cases of cervical cancer. not everyone who has HPV will develop cervical cancer, actually far from it ! recent research suggests that 80 percent of people have or have had this virus.

I am going through an all round shake up and health journey in my life at the moment and aiming to treat my HPV is part of it - I have also asked my partner to take AHCC and Vit C with me so we aren't reinfecting each other (if thats even a thing! i'm unsure but what do we have to loose) and we have a sex life just as before.

I haven't thought previously how I would tackle the conversation with a new partner - I guess that's up to you and whatever you are comfortable with.

I am very open with my friends and colleagues about my smear and HPV diagnosis because I dont think its talked about enough and you would be amazed at how many people say 'me too' when you are brave enough to talk about it.

Potencially 80% of the people you know could have/or had this too !

So when you think about it like that - it's a little less scary and isolating.

I encourage you to feel as positive as you can about it - research helped me :)

 

Belle

Hi all, sorry for posting this, I can see so many of you are having a much more rubbish time and I feel for you completely, I myself am feeling so very anxious and scared.

i am 43, and due to a very unpleasant experience during a smear I put off going back, fast forward 8 years and I have just moved to a new area and a new practice so thought I would try again with a different practice nurse - I explained how awful it had been and she was so lovely and helpful and most importantly gentle which meant I could actually get through the procedure. I then get a letter stating abnormal cells and HPV and that I am to have a colposcopy and biopsy - cue immediate panic about the procedure itself. It was unpleasant and very painful however I did it and there was a large white patch which was biopsied twice. I was told results would be 6 weeks and that’s meant Christmas week.

before I even went for the smear I have abdominal pain like a nagging period pain on and off all the time, I bleed watery blood after sex and in between too, this seems to have worsened since the colposcopy and as time goes by I am getting more and more scared as to what it might be, and what the results are going to show.

as I say I am sorry for posting such a pathetic post especially at my age,  I have very few people I can talk to as I am in a new area, my partner is fabulous but I can’t talk to him about how scared I am as bless him he would worry so much, I have an Amazing new set of in laws who have been great but again can’t confide in them and I keep finding them asking if I have the results yet which is making me more anxious - they keep saying they would have rushed it through if it were bad, having dealt with histology pots in a previous job I know that there is rarely any urgent caveat out in as it costs too much no matter what might be in the pot they all become equal at the lab.

apologies again and wishing you all a peaceful weekend

 Belle x

 

Victoria

 I hadn’t heard of hpv until I was diagnosed and although it is a sexually transmitted disease, it can lay dormant and not be active enough to show in smears. I think it’s only 5 years that nhs have been screening for hpv, previously it was just for cell changes. Knowing that hpv is present means that any cell changes are picked up. Hpv can be active and not create cell changes, or active and cause cell changes or dormant and not show up on smear at all (when it’s dormant it’s nt active so won’t be doing any harm)

So you could have had hpv before you even met your partner, he could have given it to you years ago there's just no precise science unfortunately.

My fiancé and I had the same conversation when I was diagnosed we’ve been together 6 years but I’ve not had a smear in that time (I stupidly waited 9 years for my smear) I was positive he hadn’t cheated and it lead me to asking more questions of my friend who’s a sexual health nurse and the above is the info she gave me.

Like I said there’s no certain answers as to how you got it or who from, the only thing you can do is focus on the now xxxx

 

 

Beatrice

 

There are over 200 types of HPV; it is a common virus and if you’ve ever had a wart you’ve likely got HPV. It is NOT like the infectious type of STI some of you are thinking of. It’s endemic in the world population. Eight out of 10 people (80%) who are sexually active will have HPV. For most people it causes no real problems, but for some women (women, not men) it has the potential to cause cell changes in the cells of the cervix. This is why young girls are now vaccinated against it. Not because they are promiscuous, or need to be ashamed, but because it’s NORMAL to be in contact with HPV at some time.

Should you tell someone before dating? Why would you need to? They’ve probably had it anyway… The important thing for women is to go for their regular smear tests because the potential for abnormal cells is just one of those things women have to take on board along with periods and contraception. Most women throw off the virus in a year or so, and even slight changes in cervical cells can reverse and never cause a problem. But medical science has realized that the presence of this common virus can, in some women, cause problems that could lead to cancer if not detected. It’s only in recent years that smears have been tested for the presence of HPV in an effort to prevent the process of cell abnormalities. This is a good thing. If you’re one of the unlucky ladies to need treatment you will hopefully find your way to this site where you can get medical advice and forum support for the process. You’re not alone, and you’re not bad. You’re just normal.