American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society Information on HPV Endorsed by the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC)
Changes in the cervix are often caused by a virus called human papilloma virus (HPV). HPV infections can lead to cervical cancer.
A test to check for HPV can now be done at the same time as the Pap test. Some women may want to know if they have HPV. Some women may not wish to know.
This document has answers to questions women may ask about the Pap and HPV tests. It discusses:
- the difference between a Pap test and an HPV test
- what to do if you find out you have HPV
- how women can get HPV
- how to talk to your partner about HPV
- what it means if you find out you do not have HPV
What is the difference between a Pap test and an HPV test?
A Pap test is used to find cell changes or abnormal cells in the cervix. A sample of cells from the cervix is looked at under a microscope to see if the cells are normal or whether changes can be seen. It is a very good test for finding cancer cells and cells that might become cancer.
HPV is a virus that can cause cell changes in the cervix. An HPV test checks for HPV. The test can be done at the same time as the Pap test, with the same swab or a second swab. You will not notice a difference in your exam if you have both tests.
Should I be tested for HPV?
If you are age 30 or older, you can have an HPV test with your Pap test as part of your normal health visit. If both tests are normal (negative), you should get your next Pap test in 3 years. Talk to your doctor or nurse about having the test. You may want to know if you have HPV, or you may not want to know. You also may want to ask about the cost and whether your insurance will cover it.
I am under age 30. Should I have an HPV test and a Pap test?
Women under 30 should not get the HPV test with the Pap test as part of their normal health visit. HPV is so common in women younger than 30 that it would not be helpful to test for it. After age 30, HPV is much less common. If your Pap test finds certain cell changes, your doctor may want to do an HPV test even if you are under 30. This is not the same as getting the HPV test with the Pap test as part of your normal health visit.
I am under 30 and my Pap test came back as "abnormal." Now my doctor wants me to have the HPV test. Why?
The most common abnormal Pap test result is called ASCUS (“ask us”). ASC-US cells usually are not pre-cancer, but they are not quite normal. Your doctor wants you to have the HPV test to see if the cell changes are caused by HPV. Only women with ASC-US who also have HPV need more tests. Here, the test is used to make decisions about possible treatment. This is not the same as using the HPV test with the Pap test as part of your normal health visit.
If I test positive for HPV, what does this mean for me?
If you have HPV and an abnormal Pap test, your doctor or nurse will explain what other tests you might need. If you have HPV and a normal Pap test, this means only that you have the HPV virus. You will most likely be tested again in 6 to 12 months to see if the virus has gone away. If the virus is still present, you may have other tests.
If I test positive for HPV, how did I get it?
HPV is spread by skin-to-skin contact during sex. It can be spread by all forms of sex -- vaginal, oral, and anal.
If I test positive for HPV, when did I get it?
It is usually not possible to know when a person got HPV or who gave it to them. HPV may be found right away or not until many years later. Most men and women do not know they have it.
If I have HPV and it goes away, can I get it again?
There are many types of HPV. You may have one type that goes away, and you will not get that type again. But you can still get a different type.
This document talks only about HPV types that can lead to cervical cancer. Other types of HPV can cause genital warts. The HPV test only tells you if you have HPV types that can lead to cancer.
How is HPV treated?
There is no treatment for HPV. There are treatments for the cell changes in the cervix that HPV can cause. If your Pap test shows cell changes, your doctor or nurse will discuss these treatments with you if you need them.
If I have HPV or cervical cell changes, what can I do?
Remember that HPV is very common and that most HPV infections will go away. See your doctor for your health check-ups. If you have cell changes or if you have HPV and ASC-US cell changes, your doctor will tell you to get other tests.
Will I always have the HPV virus?
We do not know. We do know that HPV usually goes away, or cannot be found, within 1 to 2 years. This happens in about 9 out of every 10 women.
Will I give HPV to my partner? Can I prevent this?
Condoms can help prevent HPV, but HPV may be present on skin that is not covered by the condom. It is not possible to completely prevent giving or getting HPV except by not having sex.
What should I tell my partner?
You may want to let your partner know that HPV is a very common virus and that most people who have sex will get HPV. Most people will not know they have it. If they do, they usually will not know when they got it or from whom. Most of the time, HPV has no symptoms and goes away by itself within 1 to 2 years.
Can my husband or boyfriend be tested for HPV?
There is no HPV test for men.
What are my chances of getting cervical cancer if I have HPV?
Women who have HPV and a normal Pap test have a very low chance (about 4%, or 4 in 100) of getting abnormal cells that need to be treated or removed within the next 6 to 12 months. The chance of getting cancer is much lower than that. On the other hand, about 60% (60 out of 100) of women who have HPV and a normal Pap test will not have HPV 6 months later, and many more will not have HPV after 12 or 18 months.
How common is HPV?
At least 8 out of every 10 women who have ever had sex will get HPV at some time in their lives. HPV is most common in young women who are in their late teens or early 20s.
Will HPV affect my pregnancy or my baby?
HPV does not affect pregnancy or the chances of getting pregnant. If HPV leads to cervical changes that need to be treated, the treatment should not affect your chances of getting pregnant.
HPV is rarely passed from a mother to her baby. The rare cases do not involve the types of HPV that can cause cancer.
Both my Pap test and my HPV test results were normal. Why should I wait 3 years to get tested again? Is that safe?
Cell changes in the cervix occur very slowly. It usually takes more than 10 years for cell changes to become cancer. Women with normal Pap and HPV test results have almost no chance of getting cervical cancer within at least 3 years.
One of the benefits of testing for HPV is that women may not need a Pap test as often. Getting the Pap test and HPV test every three years means fewer tests, follow-up visits, and treatments may be needed. There is no added safety to getting both the Pap test and the HPV test more often than every 3 years.
American Cancer Society Guidelines for Early Detection
- You should begin cervical cancer testing about 3 years after you start having sex, but no later than age 21. Testing should be done every year with the regular Pap test or every 2 years using the newer liquid-based Pap test.
- At age 30, if you have had 3 normal Pap test results in a row, you may get tested every 2 to 3 years. Some women with certain risk factors may need to be tested yearly.
- If you are over 30 you may get tested every 3 years with the Pap test plus the HPV DNA test
- If you are 70 years of age or older and have had 3 normal Pap tests in a row and no abnormal Pap test results in the last 10 years, you may stop getting tested. Discuss this with your doctor or nurse.
- If you have had a hysterectomy with removal of the uterus and cervix, you may stop testing, unless the surgery was done as a treatment for cervical cancer or pre-cancer. If you still have your cervix, you should still be tested.
- Some women believe that they do not need exams by a health care professional once they have stopped having children. This is not correct. They should continue to follow the Society’s guidelines.
Remember:
- HPV is a very common virus. Most men and women who have ever had sex will get HPV at some time in their life.
- Some women over age 30 may choose to be tested for HPV as a part of their normal health visit.
- Having the HPV test will NOT tell you if you have cervical cancer. The Pap test is the best test for finding cervical cancer or changes in the cervix.
- There is no treatment for HPV. There are treatments for changes in the cervix that may be caused by HPV.
- Women who get an HPV test with their Pap test and both tests are normal do not need to get tested again for 3 years.
- Having HPV does NOT mean you will get cancer. Most of the time the HPV virus goes away by itself.
Other Resources on HPV and Cervical Cancer
American Cancer Society
For a copy of our publication What Every Woman Should Know About Cervical Cancer and the Human Papilloma Virus call 1-800-ACS-2345.
American Social Health Association
www.ashastd.org/hpvccrc/
1-877-HPV-5868
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm
1-800-227-8922
National Cancer Institute
www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/types/cervical
National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC)
www.nccc-online.org
1 (818) 909-3849
1-800-4-CANCER
Women’s Cancer Network
