Q: What is human papillomavirus (HPV)?
A: HPV is an epitheliophilic virus that is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact. More than 100 subtypes have been identified, most of which are harmless to humans and can be eliminated by the body’s own immune system. However, there are 13 cancer-causing HPV subtypes which we call high-risk HPV and are the direct cause of cervical cancer.
Q: Through what way is HPV virus transmitted?
A: HPV can be transmitted through saliva, sexual contact and skin-to-skin contact. Even condoms are not effective in preventing the spread of HPV because the virus can survive in any area around the anus and genitals, including areas not covered by condoms, and can survive for years.
Q: How do I know if I am infected with HPV? What are the symptoms?
A: HPV infection is usually asymptomatic and can only be detected by an HPV test in the laboratory. All women who are sexually active should be tested for HPV at least once in their lifetime to help predict whether they are at high risk for cervical cancer so that they can be closely tracked for timely treatment.
Q: Is it better to get HPV testing as early as possible?
A: No. Although women before the age of 30 are sexually active and have a high chance of infection, women before the age of 30 are more resistant and most of them can clear the virus by themselves. If you are over 30 years old and still have HPV infection, you may have persistent HPV infection, which will increase the chance of developing cervical lesions or even cervical cancer. Therefore, it is recommended that all women over the age of 30 should be tested for HPV DNA. Special groups should be tested earlier.
Q: Do I still need HPV DNA testing when I already have liquid-based cytology test results?
A: Cytology is a morphological test. If there is a significant abnormality in liquid-based cytology indicating a high degree of pathology, further diagnosis and treatment can be made. If the liquid-based cytology is ASCUS, an HPV DNA test should be done to increase the sensitivity of detecting high grade lesions and to assess the woman’s risk of developing cervical lesions and determine the next review date.
Q: Is it possible to prevent HPV infection by vaccination?
A: At this point in time, this vaccine needs to be seen, and although clinical trials have been successful, a great deal of validation is needed. It takes at least 5 years from the start of clinical trials to the application of a vaccine.
Q: What does a negative HC2 HPV test result mean?
A: A negative HPV test result means that the person is not infected with HPV or has HPV virus levels in the body that are below pathogenic levels. Their risk of developing cervical cancer is very low.
Q: What does a positive HPV test result mean?
A: A positive HPV test result means that the person is infected with HPV and has a 250 times higher risk of developing cervical cancer than the normal population.HC2 Patients who test positive for HPV need to undergo cytology or colposcopy under the guidance of a doctor to determine subsequent diagnosis or treatment.
Q: My HPV DNA test result was 3Pg/ml and after one year the result increased to 51Pg/ml. what is the reason for this?
A: First of all, it can be determined that this patient is persistently infected and there is no direct correlation between the high and low results and the degree of lesions. A high value does not necessarily indicate a serious lesion, but a low value can also have a serious lesion and should not be ignored. Significant changes in the results of a repeat test can indicate the regression of the lesion.
Q: Should men also be tested for HPV?
A: Clinically, it is not necessary for men to be tested for HPV because even if men are infected with HPV, they can basically be cleared by autoimmunity due to their special physiological structure.
Q: How to prevent HPV infection?
A: Strengthen health education, pay attention to personal hygiene, eliminate sexual confusion, avoid premature sex and multiple sexual partners. Treat cervical lesions and genital tract lesions in a timely manner to improve local immunity. Regular gynecological examination
Q: How to treat HPV infection?
A: There is no specific drug for the virus, and this is also true for HPV virus. When HPV infection persists and progresses to disease, aggressive treatment is needed at that time.
Q: What should I do to prevent cervical cancer?
1.Strengthen health education and raise awareness of cervical cancer prevention
2. Pay attention to menstrual hygiene, eliminate sexual confusion, avoid premature sex and multiple sexual partners
3.Regular gynecological examination. All women who have sex should have regular cervical cytology and HPV test (at least once in their lifetime). Especially for women over 30 years old, the examination interval should be decided according to the test results.
4. Timely treatment of cervical lesions and reproductive tract viral infections to improve local immunity.