I’m being told that I have precancerous HPV. How scary is the literal “real life” outcome? Where/when/how do you GET HPV? I’m not really grasping how HPV is more of a viral infection (My type anyways), but you get HPV from having sex (Like an STD), BUT you don’t pass it on to your partner??? That doesn’t make sense, right? Or have I just lost too many “Mom Marbles”? The cancer society page isn’t exactly clear LOL Thanks for the input
16 Likes
You can get HPV from having sex with multiple people. You can get is from having sex with just one person, if they have it. It’s an STD so it is passed from person to person during sex.
1 Like
You can pass it to your partner, i got mine through a past one. I was lucky enough to just be a carrier and it went away in 2 years
1 Like
I have hpv, it is a std but there are a million different strains. 16 and 18 can lead to cervical cancer and that’s what I have. Hpv can go away on its own but when it’s present for so long then doctors want to do biopsy’s to make sure it’s not cancer. Keep up with your appointments. I’ve had it since I was 18 and I’m 34 now. I also take mushroom extract
1 Like
I had high risk hpv during preg. It went away after I gave birth. Never tested positive again. It will leave your body on it’s own unless it turns into cancer.
2 Likes
Hpv is an sti. You can get if from any of your sexual partners you’ve had or you could even have gotten it passing through the birth canal when you were born (such as the case for my daughter, she showed signs at six months old but it cleared up) if your mom had an active case. It can lay dorment for years or never show at all. Usually if it presents any signs it will clear up but there are times it can become worse. I had the pre-cancer cells myself but it cleared up. Just do your check ups like your doctor suggests and you should be ok.
I had HPV when I was like 17 or 18. I don’t have it anymore. It IS curable and can go away. Try not to freak out too much about it. And precancerous cells do NOT mean cancer. It’s a scary word but you can get them removed with a colposcopy
1 Like
I always heard it goes away
I got cervical and uterain cancer from hpv passed to me by partner. Had a complete hysterectomy and a few other treatments about 8 years ago. Im still alive and kicking.
2 Likes
I had hpv for 4 years now, was told it would go on it’s own but it hasn’t
never said what strain tho, I had a camera check my cervix which was fine, just regular smears needed apparently🤷🏼♀️
You can pass it your partner and they can pass it on apparently, my nurse said to use protection 
although I was with my ex for years before I was told I had it and there was no relations in between everyone says differant things regarding it
My cervix have been remove.
It is a virus. It is an std. it goes from person to person through sex. your immune system will suppress it. For the pre cancer. You’ll have a biopsy. And depending on the results they will go from there.
I did but was during my last pregnancy then when I got a pap at my Six weeks and one year it all came back negative. But at 29 I have a cyst on one if my ovaries that kinda worries me but didnt seem to worry any of the doctors, but my last pap I had this past september also came back negative for everything so idk
It can be passed on to your partner. The virus can cause 6 different types of cancers in both men & women.
Just keep up with whatever treatments your doctor gives you and do follow up testing.
2 Likes
Its passed on through men, men carry the disease but cannot for some reason be found when doing tests, then it’s just passed on through people who probably dont even usually know they have it.
I had to get a big chunk of my cervix cut out from the precancerous cells. My next pregnancy i had to get my cervix sewn shut and was on bed rest.
But a lot of pregnant women some reason can be diagnosed with it but then it’s just gone.
1 Like
You can also get HIV from being born if the mother has it…yes you can pass it on and most times it will go away. Keep your appointments and it will be ok
A couple things
- Men are NOT tested for HPV. So you probably got it from your partner, and no they didn’t know they had it.
- There are multiple strains. More than likely you’ll be referred for a exam where they biopsy your cervix. Then from there you’ll have regular exams and be monitored. More than likely you’ll be ok.
3 Likes
I have always been regularly tested and never tested positive for it until I was pregnant. I’ve had one pap done to check for it since giving birth and it was negative for it. My doctor recommended getting tested every 6 months for a while just to keep an eye out for it and told me it is something that is common and not to be alarmed, most people have been exposed to HPV at some point during their lives and it’s very common or that’s what I was told. I’d try not to worry too much (if possible) and just see what happens
I’m actually going threw the same thing with HPV… I go tomorrow for the biopsy
It’s transmitted through sex.
It’s not a STD it’s a STI, I also had it and ended up having layers of my cervix cut out! It’s more common than you think many times people don’t know they have it and goes away on their own but in some cases it can turn into cervical cancers! All mine were removed and been clear for years! Regardless it’s scary but treatable in most cases!
2 Likes
Yes and I am currently battling stage 1 cervical cancer so make sure you are keeping up with your smears!!!
2 Likes
It’s not only an sti. When I had it a several years back ( before all the tv commercials) , my doctor was also treating a nun, & a woman who had been married for 20 years ( no cheating by either partner). I had 2 yrs of visits with my Ob to monitor it. It eventually cleared up on its own.
HPV is an STI that is passed through skin to skin contact (rather than through fluid emission). A person with a healthy immune system will more than likely make a full recovery without any kind of medical intervention, but you should continue to follow any recommendations your doctor makes. Some strains can lead to cancer, but there is no treatment for HPV - only the symptoms of it.
1 Like
there are stages on hpv… cn1, cn2 , and cancerous… you can get a cone biopsy and they can test it for cancer and get rid of the hpv
How old are you ?didn’t you have the vaccine for hpv,? Is a series of 3 shots,is given to young teenagers both boys and girls
Hpv caused cervical cancer for my sister.
I am an RN. It is an STD/STI (same thing) but it also can be transferred on inanimate objects such as toilet seats and sex toys etc. The virus can live on inanimate objects for up to 48 hours. (Thus the Gardisal vaccine for kids age 9-26) It is possible to spread the virus with or without sex. Keep up to date on your pap smears; don’t have sex if you have active lesions. Other than that, follow any instructions from your doctor.
4 Likes
Was diagnosed with it when I went in for a post natal checkup and found out I was pregnant again. However, that was 10 years ago and I haven’t heard anything about it again.
There are many different strands of hpv. Your best option is to talk to your doctor as they will know the answers specific to your hpv strand.
2 Likes
I has my first abnormal pap last year in the first few months I found out I was pregnant. After pregnancy I had another pap and then i had a colposcopy (not colonoscopy) and they took samples and sent those in and I was told that there are 5 stages and I’m in the 3rd and this coming year I’ll have to have another pap and if it looks the same or worse more samples and then go from there.
You get hpv from sex… if doesn’t effect your partner like it effects you… but they are a carrier of it now. They can pass it on to other people. The doctors will probably just freeze and kill the precancerous cells on the lining of your cervix.
1 Like
I was diagnosed with hpv once quite a few years ago. I changed a few habits, like smoking, and made regular check ups. It went away on its own thankfully, but I was scared to death because cancer runs in my family and more directly, my father was exposed to agent orange so I have a more likely chance of getting cancer. I am thankful the hpv went away though.
I was diagnosed with it when I was pregnant with my 3rd child… they did a biopsy of some cysts, was not cancer, and that was it. That’s been 10 yrs ago.
I’ve had many friends who tested positive for it when we were teenagers and by the time they were 20, it cleared up or went dormant. It can’t be “cured.” You have to treat it like herpes in a way, don’t have sex during an active outbreak, get tested regularly. You can treat the symptoms. Be upfront with your SO and anyone you could be sexually active with. Management is easiest with early detection. Don’t freak out, you’re precancerous which means you caught it early. You’ll be fine. 
1 Like
The majority of people get infected with one or more strains of HPV by the time they’re middle aged. Most people also get rid of the virus on their own. The few that don’t (only a very small percentage of people) actually experience symptoms as a result, and an even smaller percentage of those end up with serious complications. You’ll most likely clear the virus in a few months, and if it causes any minor cell changes, those should clear on their own too. Unless you end up with high grade cervical changes, they’ll most likely wait and see if it goes away on its own.
3 Likes
Hpv is co tagious it is spread by intercourse or oral sex.
Ok so I didn’t read all the comments because after reading a few I had questions. Males carry hpv but theres currently no way to test if a Male has it?
1 Like
HPV is VIRAL. It does NOT go away. There are many different types of HPV. Some are cancerous and some are not. If u have an abnormal pap then they will do a Colposcopy to test for abnormal cells. If it comes back as pre-cancerous then it can be treated to prevent cancer.
2 Likes
this is why most people shouldn’t comment about this without personal knowledge on it. I had a pap, which showed cancerous cells. I got HPV from a previous partner. there are many strains of HPV, the gardisal shot doesnt protect you from all of them. They will most likely do a colposcopy if they are concerned after rechecking in a few months, then watch and wait. CERVICAL CANCER TAKES YEARS TO PROGRESS. most people dont find dout until it is too late from years of no PAPs or check ups. you will most likely be fine, just continue to get check ups, usually they take a year between appointments. Mine was find after a year
5 Likes
Going through this right now after the birth of my 1 year old. Pap came back positive for hpv and was abnormal. From what I’ve read they dont generally check hpv unless you’re older (older than 30 something) and that’s when hpv isn’t just a viral infection that clears on its own.(most cases it still does but more cases of cancer or precancer cells appear) after the pap came back + I had a colposcopy and it showed it is low risk so I will have another pap a year from my colposcopy to see if it corrected itself or if it increased. The gyn who did the colposcopy is pretty sure it will correct itself. When she biopsied she was able to remove several spots cleanly
2 Likes
I was diagnosed when I was pregnant 7 years ago n the Dr said it goes away n I haven’t had a diagnosis since
1 Like
Even if you do end up with abnormal cervical cells, it takes years for it to develop into dangerous territory. Keep up on your paps, do your research from reputable sources (CDC, NIH, universities). A large majority go away on their own
1 Like
Some of these people are really misinformed on what HPV is, causes, where you get it, treatment etc 
Please consult with your dr. Not here.
4 Likes
I have hpv from std that turned cancer. I have had to go thru scrapings biopsies to see what level we were at. I’ve gone thru chryno freeze where they freeze the cells in the cervix to prevent it from getting worse. I’ve had the leep procedure. You have to have more Pap test more frequently. When we had my kids we had to go thru all these procedures to make sure I could have them vaginally. I was also on high dose of antibiotics during labor. Doctor said if the babies when passing thru the canal got it in their eyes could go blind. So everyone was on the up and up and aware of measures needed during and after labor. Yes it’s spreadable between partners so every partner I had I had to tell them.
I have hpv, had a high grade change pap (where they see highly abnornap cells in the colposcopy sample), had a baby, and then my pap was normal.
If you have hpv, and have abnormal paps, you need a pap every 6 months. Keep an eye on it because cervical cancer is preventable! If you do have high grade changes, you’ll need a biopsy. The biopsy will tell you if the cells are precancerous. If they are, they can be lasered off and you’ll likely be just fine. It takes years and years for precancerous cells to become cancerous in the cervix AND cervical lining can be shed through childbirth and sometimes even a period. At times it can correct itself like mine did. I still go every 6 months for a check up but with proper diet and good health, your body can and will fight the Hpv to keep it dormant
1 Like
Only some strains lead to cancer. Basically for you now it just means paps are needed more often. They may do a colposcopy (which is a really close up look at your cervix), and if they find any abnormal cells, they will take a biopsy at that time. If the biopsy comes back pre cancerous (CIN 1 2 or 3 etc), then they will need to remove those cells from the cervix before they grow deeper into the cervical tissue and potentially become cancerous. They can freeze the cells off, or burn them off. I had a LEEP procedure done once for that (they burned them off with an electrical current). I made the stupid mistake of looking up what a LEEP was beforehand, and they had a huge numbing needle there, and I had a panic attack. lol. The dr was like, “Did you google it? You really shouldn’t have done that.” Anyway, the needle was a little crampy pinch and I didn’t feel any of the procedure. I had minor cramping later in the day. Perhaps you have more cramping if they have to cut more tissue off. Either way, it’s not bad. Then you just have to keep coming back and getting paps every 6 months until you stop testing positive, and getting colps if you do, and then biopsies and cell removals as needed. It’s super annoying and something to avoid if you can. It can cause issues with your cervix and therefore pregnancy, but generally only in repetitive cases of cell removal (shortening of the cervix, cervical scarring, scar tissue, can prevent closing, can prevent opening), but it’s all way better than getting cancer, so… in that respect, it’s not a big deal.
I tested positive for hpv during my first pregnancy in 2010, but the drs didn’t do much and said that it was low to mid risk and may even go away on it’s own. Unfortunately I didn’t keep up with the exams and it was still there when I had my pap this year. I’m pregnant again so they couldn’t do a full biopsy, but did take a biopsy of the outside of my cervix because my new OB said that bn this now high risk for cancer, but it didn’t look like it has developed into cancer yet. I am 24 weeks now and after this baby is born they will do an in depth biopsy so see if there is anything else they need to do.
I had it, and had a colposcopy (leep surgery) to remove the cells. My paps have been normal the two times since.
The hpv virus will cause cirvical cancer. It may take a year or it may take 50 years but it will turn into cancer I was told by my Doctor.
I had HPV in 2007 with precancerous cells. The Dr first preformed a cone biopsy to test and then a LEEP procedure to remove the cells which is basically burning/scraping them off. Then I needed paps every 6 months until I had normal paps for 2 years before going back to getting a pap once a year. I’ve had normal paps ever since the LEEP, but there’s always the potential it can return as precancerous cells again.
I had the LEEP procedure done to remove precancerous cells due to HPV. I’ve never had a positive pap since.
HPV is contracted by having sex with a male. You can catch it from a woman if she has contracted it from a male previously. It can not turn cancerous in a male however they can carry the virus. You can have HPV and it may not even cause your cells to turn precancerous. If your cells are precancerous (cin1 through to Cin4) they will now lazer them out. It’s a day procedure.
You pass it on to your partner but it’s basically dormant in males so they’re going to give it to anyone female they sleep with potentially, and it can cause cancer in females. It never goes away completely but it can become dormant. Don’t skip your annual exams and when you wash yourself up, be aware of the way your ladybits feel and see your doctor about bumps or other unknown questions. Listen to your doctor.