What does it mean if my HPV test is negative?
Your HPV test is negative. This means that no high risk HPV was found on your cervix and that your chances of developing cervical cell changes that require treatment in the next five years are extremely low. For that reason, you should wait for five years before having another cervical screening test.
Does negative Pap smear mean no HPV?
A Pap test screens for cellular abnormalities caused by HPV. A negative Pap test means that no cellular abnormalities were identified under the microscope after both computer-guided screening and re-screening by trained cytotechnologists.
Is a negative HPV good?
NIH study finds negative HPV screening test result is a better predictor of low cervical cancer risk than a negative Pap test. A drawing of HPV virus attacking cervical cancer cells.
What causes abnormal Pap with negative HPV?
HPV and other STDs Other sexually transmitted diseases, infections, and conditions also cause irregular Pap test results, including: Genital warts (herpes) Trichomoniasis (another common STI) Other infections.
Can I have HPV and test negative?
An HPV test will come back as a positive test result or a negative test result: Negative HPV test result: High-risk HPV was not found. You should have the test again in 5 years. You may need to come back sooner if you had abnormal results in the past.
How common is a false negative HPV test?
With HPV tests, the false negative rate is only 5%. Here’s how HPV testing would work. Up until around age 30 (experts differ slightly as to the appropriate age), women would be screened using Pap tests. That’s because young women tend to have more sexual partners and are exposed to HPV at a high rate.
Can I test negative for HPV and still have it?
Can HPV be positive and then negative?
HPV is a very common virus: About one quarter of women going through college will be exposed to HPV during their college years. In most cases, your body will effectively fight the HPV virus; most women with a positive HPV test will eventually have a negative test result.
How common are false negative Pap smears?
Pathologists analyze the cells under a microscope to see if they are healthy. Unfortunately, as many as four in 10 test results come back negative even when a biopsy shows abnormal lesions, and researchers have not been able to conclusively explain the inconsistencies.
Can you have a false negative HPV test?
A false-negative test result means you really do have an HPV infection, but the test indicates that you don’t. This might cause a delay in appropriate follow-up tests or procedures.
Can you have abnormal cervical cells without HPV?
Other things can cause cells to look abnormal, including irritation, some infections (such as a yeast infection), growths (such as polyps in the uterus), and changes in hormones that occur during pregnancy or menopause. Although these things may make cervical cells look abnormal, they are not related to cancer.
How do you know when HPV is gone?
Most strains of HPV go away permanently without treatment. Because of this, it isn’t uncommon to contract and clear the virus completely without ever knowing that you had it. HPV doesn’t always cause symptoms, so the only way to be sure of your status is through regular testing. HPV screening for men isn’t available.
What does a negative HPV mean on a Pap test?
The term indicates an inconclusive, or unclear, Pap test result. A negative HPV means the patient tested negative for the human papillomavirus. The Pap and HPV tests work together to screen for cervical cancer, explains the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals.
What is HPV/PAP cotesting?
The sample of cervical cells is sent to a lab, where the cells can be checked to see if they are infected with the types of HPV that cause cancer (an HPV test). The same sample can be checked for abnormal cells (a Pap test). When both an HPV test and a Pap test are done on the same sample, this is called HPV/Pap cotesting.
What do the results of an HPV test mean?
HPV test results show if high-risk HPV types were found in cervical cells. An HPV test will come back as a positive test result or a negative test result: Negative HPV test result: High-risk HPV was not found. You should have the test again in 5 years. You may need to come back sooner if you had abnormal results in the past.
What does a normal Pap test result mean?
Pap test results show if cervical cells are normal or abnormal. A Pap test may also come back as unsatisfactory. Normal Pap test results: A normal test result may also be called a negative test result or negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy.