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Human papilloma virus, or HPV, is the virus that causes cervical cancer, genital warts, and many anal cancers. Because cervical cancer is almost always the result of HPV, testing for the virus has become an integral part of cervical cancer screening.
HPV is ubiquitous. Almost every young woman who has sex will be exposed to the virus and over three years a sexually active woman between the ages of 17 and 23 has at least a 43% chance of acquiring the infection.
Hold the panic. For most women HPV is harmless. The immune system quickly tackles the virus and by two years 90% of women will have cleared the infection. Some women may develop Pap smear changes, but more often than not they are mild and transient. Because HPV is so common among women under the age of 30 testing is not recommended. In fact, HPV testing in younger women may actually be harmful in the long run because it can lead to additional, unnecessary procedures on the cervix. The best screening method in this age group is a Pap smear, starting within three years of initiating sexual activity, but no later than age 21.
New HPV infections are far less common for women over the age of 30, so a positive test in this population suggests a persistent infection, which increases the risk of cervical cancer. It is when HPV hangs around that it is more likely to cause problems. For this reason, women over the age of 30 should be tested for cervical cancer with both a Pap smear and an HPV test.
HPV is a consequence of sex. Women can protect themselves by limiting their partners, using a condom, getting the HPV vaccine, and getting screened for cervical cancer. Screening for women under the age of 30 means a Pap smear and for those women over the age of 30 that means a Pap smear plus HPV typing.
Remember, this column does not represent individual medical advice
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Comments
it is informative. I will recommend it to my HPV friends on HPVmatch.net
Your readers may be interested in the book “The HPV Vaccine Controversy: Sex, Cancer, God and Politics” authored by Shobha S. Krishnan, M.D, Barnard college, Columbia University. It is available at amazon.com and Barnes and Noble .com and is written without the influence of any pharmaceutical company or special interest groups. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, June 17th 2009) calls the book superb and a terrific contribution to the field. Link to the book: www.greenwood.com/catalog/C35011.aspx
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