Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)- Should YOU be Tested?

I am sure everyone has heard of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and it's relation to cervical cancer. I talked recently on Mommy Vomitpants about Gardasil and why I will be getting Willow vaccinated when she is old enough. But what about adults? Should you, as an adult, be concerned about the HPV?

According the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 40 HPV types that can infect the genital areas of men and women, including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina), and anus, and the linings of the vagina, cervix, and rectum. You cannot see HPV. Most people who become infected with HPV do not even know they have it.

According to the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) there are over 100 different types of HPV. Most HPV infections do not cause any health effects at all because they are eliminated by the infected person’s immune system before they can do any damage. At times certain types of HPV (“low risk”) can cause minor changes. Usually those types do not cause long term problems. But other types (“high risk”) can cause infected cells to lose control of their own growth; if early changes are not detected and treated, these changes can turn into cancer years later.

Okay, so what exactly is "high risk"? According to the ASCCP, HPV genetic material (DNA) from the 13 types of HPV most commonly associated with the development of cervical cancer are the “high risk” types. Most people who are infected with these types of HPV may never have any related problems. However, women who have a high-risk type of HPV are much more likely than uninfected women to develop a cervical pre-cancer (dysplasia) or cancer over time.

Now that we know a little more about the HPV let's talk a little bit (again) about the only vaccination. Gardasil is only for women aged 9-26 years. It is not for men or recommended for older women (like myself...I know, 32 isn't "old", right?), prevents only 4 types of HPV (two of which cause 70% of cervical cancer), and doctors are still debating weather or not it is worth it to get the vaccination when you are on the upper part of that age range.

So how do you even know if you have the HPV, let alone one of the "high risk" versions mentioned above? And is it a good idea to even find out? According to CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta's article New test for HPV, Of all the women in the U.S. with cervical cancer, 60 percent had never been screened, or hadn't been screened in the last 5 years, according to the American Cancer Society. That's why women should be diligent about getting their Pap tests. It's the gold standard for detecting cell changes in the cervix that could be caused by HPV.

But now, there's fresh interest in a different kind of test - a DNA test for HPV, a swab done during a regular pelvic exam, that its supporters say is better than the Pap, and may even muscle it out as the cervical cancer screening method of choice. [One issue to think about] - and not a small one - is that the HPV test isn't widely available and it is not always covered by insurance.

For now, the American Cancer Society says women should be screened using the Pap test, or Pap plus the HPV test if she chooses, because the HPV test does offer added benefits over the Pap alone. At this time, women can only get an HPV test along with a Pap test; it's not FDA approved as a primary screening test.

A Study in the New England Journal of Medicine of more than 10,000 women aged 30-69 found the HPV test picked up far more cervical pre-cancers than the Pap smear did.

Currently, there is only one test approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that directly detects the presence of high-risk types of the HPV virus (as mentioned above): the digene HPV Test. When used along with a Pap to screen women 30 and older, it more accurately identifies who is at risk of developing cervical cancer than the Pap alone. Their website: The digene HPV Test, has a ton of great information on the test itself and who should consider getting screened.

The bottom line? Make sure you get your yearly pap. I think women sometimes downplay the importance the their "well-woman" exam. And if your pap is "abnormal", consider requesting the digene HPV test. It could save your life by detecting cervical cancer early.