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Women And HPV

Human Papillomavirus is the cause of cervical cancer. There may be other factors that can contribute to cervical cancer, like cigarette smoking; but experts believe that the presence of the high-risk type of HPV is necessary for there to be cervical cancer.

HPV is very common. Those who do contract HPV have body immune systems that usually fight off the virus before it can cause any problems.

Those who have HPV that does not go away can then develop cell changes that may then develop into cervical cancer. Detecting it early is imperative.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease among young, sexually active women. Every year 5.5 million people will get infected with the genital HPV infection. Most HPV infections are temporary and do not cause any further complications. Persistent cervical infection with certain of the various types of HPV can lead to cervical cancer.

Abnormal cell changes can take place in the cervix years before cervical cancer is detected. The human papilloma virus causes the cell changes. The earlier test that can detect this cell change is the Pap test. Starting at age 30, women can also be tested using the HPV-DNA test

The Pap smear Test

This test is used to locate and identify cell in the cervix that are changing or abnormal from those typically found in the cervix.

The HPV test can locate 13 types of HPV that are commonly found in HPV cancer. The HPV test is conducted at the same time that the Pap Smear Test is done.

Anyone who has sex is at high risk of being exposed to HPV Most of the time the woman's body will help keep in check the cancer occurrence. The longer a woman has exposure to HIV, over a period of years; she has an increased chance of developing cell changes that lead to cervical cancer.

Women 30 years of age or older would benefit from having both the Pap test and the HPV test as with both test the chance of finding any present cervical cell changes are greater. If both the Pap test and the HPV test come back normal (negative) and she is clear for all other risk factors her physician will likely say that she will then need to have the Pap and HPV test repeated in 3 years. She will still need to have routine gynecological exams to test for other female-related health issues.

Women under age 30 do not need to have the HPV test along with their Pap test. Even if they do have the HPV virus, there healthy immune system should be able to get rid of it. HPV must be present for a number of years without being resolved for it to cause cancer. Women who are younger than 30, will be far less likely to have this scenario than women over age 30.

Women who have abnormal Pap test but normal HPV will need to repeat the Pap test in one year.