HPV

Still HPV positive after treatment

Had the procedure, margins clear, and the follow up test still shows the virus. What was the point?

wool_coat 3 months ago

NoteMember experience, not medical advice. Symptoms overlap between infections and only a test can tell them apart.

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open_window 3 months ago

The procedure removes abnormal cells, not the virus. So a positive HPV test afterwards is disappointing but it is not a sign the treatment failed.

Clearance after treatment often takes time, and the follow up schedule exists because of that.

low_ceiling 2 months ago

A persisting positive does put you in closer follow up than someone who clears, and that is a reasonable thing to want rather than a bad sign. It is surveillance, not a verdict.

apple_crate 2 months ago

Ask about vaccination after treatment if it has not come up. Some evidence suggests it may reduce recurrence after excision, and it is a conversation several programmes are now having.

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