Patient area You have had an HPV test. Let us explain what it means.
No jargon and no beating about the bush. Written by the gynaecologists and midwives of the Andalusian screening programme, so you understand your result and know what happens next.
Human papillomavirus is very common — most of us have it at some point without ever knowing. Being told you have it means your follow-up has started, not that you have a disease.
The information on this page describes the cervical screening programme of Andalusia (Spain). If you live in another country, the intervals, the ages and the follow-up pathway may be different: check with your own healthcare professional.
The remaining 10 go into follow-up — which is exactly what it is for.
To decide with peace of mind.
HPV is very common and, in most cases, temporary. A positive result can be worrying, but good information is what reduces anxiety and prevents needless stigma. Here you will find rigorous, understandable content to understand what HPV is, what taking part in a screening programme means and how follow-up works.
What they will tell you, and what it means.
These are the possible results of the test and what each one implies. Find yours.
HPV negative or normal cytology
No high-risk HPV was detected, or no changes were seen in the cells of the cervix.
What happens now: you will return to routine screening. The next test will generally be in 3 or 5 years, depending on the test performed and your situation.
HPV positive with normal cytology
High-risk HPV was detected (not 16 or 18), but the cells of the cervix are normal. This does not mean you have cancer and, in most cases, the body clears the infection.
What happens now: the test will be repeated in one year.
Mild changes
ASC-US or LSIL on cytology with high-risk HPV (not 16 or 18)
Small changes were seen in the cells. These are common results and do not mean you have cancer.
What happens now: the test will be repeated in one year.
Changes requiring further study, or HPV 16-18
Results such as ASC-H, HSIL, AGC or other changes require examining the cervix in greater detail. The result alone does not confirm the presence of cancer.
What happens now: you will be referred for a colposcopy and, only when necessary, a small biopsy will be taken.
Inadequate or inconclusive result
Sometimes the sample does not contain enough cells, or the HPV test does not give a conclusive result. This does not mean there is any abnormality.
What happens now: the sample or the HPV test is usually repeated. If it happens again, or alongside certain results, a colposcopy may be indicated.
What will happen, step by step.
This is the usual path when a result comes back positive. Knowing what is coming tends to take away more fear than any explanation.
The screening test
Depending on your age and your situation, the screening test may be a cytology test or an HPV test. In both cases a sample is taken from the cervix and analysed in the laboratory.
You are told the result
If anything is unclear, this is a good moment to ask: there are no silly questions.
There may be several routes
If the result is normal, you will return to the routine screening programme. If HPV or a mild change appears, the test may need to be repeated or a check-up scheduled later. If the result needs closer study, you will be referred for a colposcopy.
Colposcopy
A colposcopy is an examination of the cervix with a magnifying lens to see it in more detail. It is done in the clinic and does not require admission. If necessary, a small sample may be taken during the examination for analysis.
HPV clears up or causes no significant problems
In most cases the immune system clears the virus on its own over time. Many mild changes also resolve or are kept under control without ever becoming a significant lesion.
Treatment and follow-up
If a lesion that should be treated is found, this is usually done with a simple procedure, generally without admission. Afterwards the necessary check-ups are carried out until you return to the routine screening programme.
They explain it themselves.
Two or three minutes per question, answered by the professionals of the Andalusian screening programme.
Can a virus appear after years without it? Yes — and it hardly ever means what it seems to
You may be found to have HPV after years of normal cytology results, or having been with the same partner for a long time. The explanation has a name: latency.
The virus can be in your body —in the cells of the deepest layer of the tissue— without showing itself in any way. In that state it does not multiply, or it does so in such small amounts that it causes no symptoms and does not show up in tests.
There are three possible situations:
- Dormant. The virus is «hidden» inside the cell. There is no lesion and tests come back negative.
- Active. The virus uses the cell to multiply and reaches the surface. The test comes back positive, but there is still no lesion.
- Transforming. This is the one that needs the closest follow-up: the virus integrates into the cell's genetic material and damages it. Here there is a lesion.
That is why a positive result today does not mean that the infection is recent, nor that anyone has been unfaithful to you: most likely the virus was already there, dormant, giving no sign in your earlier tests. That is the medical explanation, and it is there to take that worry off your shoulders.
Did you know the test is not always the same? It depends on your age — and there is a reason
If you are between 25 and 34. At this age contracting HPV is very common, but the immune system usually clears it on its own most of the time. That is why the test you are given is a cytology test, which looks for possibly damaged cells. This avoids unnecessary alarm over passing infections that will clear by themselves.
If you are between 35 and 65. From 35 onwards, if the virus appears, the body finds it harder to clear. That can lead to persistent infections, which are the ones that genuinely increase risk. That is why the test changes and moves to detecting the virus directly.
Both tests are equally valid: each is the right one for its age group. As soon as you receive your screening invitation letter, book an appointment.
Do you have HPV and smoke? Tobacco is the virus's greatest ally
The toxins in tobacco travel through the bloodstream and weaken your immune system. That makes it much harder for your body to clear the virus, and cells change faster — which favours lesions not only in the cervix, but also in the mouth or throat.
The good news: as soon as you stop smoking you remove those toxins and help your body fight the infection. Every cigarette you skip counts. If you smoke, ask for help at your health centre to quit.
What gets asked most in clinic.
Written the way people ask, not the way things get documented.
Does it mean someone has just passed it to me?
Not necessarily, and this is the question that causes the most distress. HPV can stay dormant for years without any sign and without any test picking it up. Its appearing today says nothing about when it was acquired or from whom. It is not a sign of infidelity, nor of anything recent.
I am vaccinated. Why do I still need screening?
Because the vaccine protects against the most dangerous types of the virus, but not against all of them. Vaccination and screening are complementary: together they are what makes it possible to aim at eliminating this cancer. Being vaccinated greatly reduces the risk; it does not remove it.
Do I have to tell my partner?
That is your decision. It helps to know that HPV is so common that, in a steady couple, both partners have most likely been in contact with it. There is no treatment that «clears» the virus in a partner, and there is no screening test recommended for men without symptoms. Talking about it is a way of sharing information, not of taking action.
Can I carry on as normal? And have sex?
Yes. Having HPV does not require you to change anything in your daily life. If you have a test or treatment, you will be told whether to wait a few days before having sex again — that will be explained in clinic and it is temporary.
Does it affect my fertility or a pregnancy?
Having HPV does not reduce fertility and does not prevent a normal pregnancy. Some treatments of the cervix may call for particular monitoring in later pregnancies; if you are trying to conceive, say so in clinic and it will be taken into account.
How long do the results take?
It depends on the centre, but usually a few weeks. If considerably more time passes than you were told, you can ring your health centre and ask. A delay does not mean there is a problem.
Does a colposcopy hurt?
The examination itself is similar to a routine gynaecological check and does not usually hurt. If a small sample (a biopsy) is also taken, you may feel a brief discomfort, like a pinch. It takes a few minutes and you walk home afterwards.
The words you are going to hear.
Put into everyday language.
- Screening
Looking for a disease before it causes symptoms, in people who feel well. It is not a test done because something is suspected.
- Cytology
Examining the cells of the cervix under a microscope. It is the test people have always known.
- High-risk HPV
The types of the virus able to cause lesions over time. «High-risk» describes the virus, not your case.
- Colposcopy
Looking at the cervix through a magnifying lens. It is done in clinic, with no hospital stay.
- Low-grade lesion
Mild changes in the cells. Most resolve on their own and are simply monitored.
- High-grade lesion
More marked changes that are worth treating. They are still not cancer: treating them is what stops them becoming cancer.
- Latency
The virus can lie dormant for years without being detected. That is why its appearing today says nothing about when it was acquired.
- Clearance
The body getting rid of the virus on its own. This is what happens in most cases.
Ask the expert: still have a question?
You can send us your query and a member of the team will reply within a maximum of 10 days to your email address. It does not replace your own appointment, but it helps you understand better what you have been told.
There are no silly questions here.
Write to a specialist
Sending from the website will be available in the final version. In the meantime you can write to info@conectavph.com.
Other trustworthy sources.
Resources from scientific societies and public bodies, selected by the project team.
Visibiliza VPH patient forum
A moderated space to share experiences and read common questions alongside other women taking part in the screening programme.
HPV is so common that most of us have it at some point without ever knowing. Detecting it is precisely what prevents cancer.
Core message of the public-information area · pending validation by the clinical team