“HPV?”

HPV is detected in the genital tract. It is detected on the cervix via a Pap smear. Pap smear will not be able to detect HPV in any other location, it cannot detect on the vagina or the vulva, let alone any other more part of the body. There is no medication for treating HPV, unfortunately. However, if you have had normal Paps until now and you are with the same partner, and both of you are monogamous, it is highly unlikely that you would have an abnormal Pap smear again. If prior Paps have all been normal by age 65, further Pap smear testing is not needed.

Unfortunately your case sounds more complicated than can be answered in this forum. I would need more information about your pap history before I could answer your specific question. But typically, the Pap test that gynecologists do is not associated with other cancers in the nose or other places. And having HPV on the cervix is not an indication of cancer elsewhere. But if there is concern for cancer in any part of the body or strong family history, please follow up with your doctor for further evaluation and management.

See an ear nose and throat doctor to make sure you don't have any in your nose or oral cavity or even in your larynx.

HPV testing is replacing the Pap test as the primary screening test for the prevention of cervix cancer. The HPV virus us very common with 80% of the population exposed, usually with the onset of intimate sexual relationships. There are many different strains of the HPV virus with HPV vaccinations targeting the strains most often associated with HPV related cancers and genital warts. The Pap test collects cells from the cervix that may detect changes to suggest an HPV infection, pre-cancer or cancer.

The Pap test is looking for abnormal cells- an HPV test is looking for the genetic fingerprint (DNA or RNA) of high risk strains of the HPV virus. Many women think a Pap test is the same as a pelvic exam. Having a pelvic exam does not mean a Pap test or an HPV test was collected. Ask your doctor before the exam if these tests are needed.

The Pap test collects cells from the cervix. It may also be used to collect cells from the vagina or anus in some circumstances. A HPV test can be collected from the cervix at the time of a Pap test (often called co-testing). HPV may also be checked from a urine sample if a pelvic exam is not needed. HPV is associated with 5 different types of cancer in women: cervix, vulvar, vaginal, anal and oropharyngeal ( mouth and throat). Most of us, even if exposed will not develop HPV related cancer. Smoking increases your risk of these same cancers and the success of treatment if you have an HPV related cancer. A negative HPV test means you do not have the high risk strains of the virus at the time of testing. If you test positive for high risk strains of HPV additional testing and follow-up should be discussed with you doctor.

ValenaWrightMD.com

Hello and thank you for your question.

It is likely that when you say you were "treated for HPV" that the treatment entailed either cutting out, burning, or freezing the cells that harbored the HPV virus, and thus was able to rid you of HPV in that area. It is possible to have HPV in other parts of the body such as the mouth, anus, or throat, but we do not have any great screening test for this. I would suggest continuing to have your regular screenings as recommended by your doctor, and if you have any symptoms or new lesions appearing in other areas of the body, please schedule an appointment with your doctor to have them evaluated.

The HPV test is only checking for it in the cervix. While it is possible that it is in other areas of your body is not incredibly likely. We do not recommend screening for HPV in other areas of the body to monitor for recurrence of HPV related to cervical dysplasia.