Can you get cervical cancer from HPV?

Can you get cervical cancer from HPV?

HPV can cause cervical and other cancers including cancer of the vulva, vagina, penis, or anus. It can also cause cancer in the back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils (called oropharyngeal cancer). Cancer often takes years, even decades, to develop after a person gets HPV.

How does HPV increase the risk of cervical cancer?

When you’re exposed to genital human papillomavirus (HPV), your immune system usually prevents the virus from doing serious harm. But sometimes, the virus survives for years. Eventually, the virus can lead to the conversion of normal cells on the surface of the cervix into cancerous cells.

Is HPV a death sentence?

So finding out that you have HPV is not a death sentence. It turns out 60 to 80 percent of all women have had HPV at some point in their life. It’s something that will come and go in terms of the testing results because your body’s immune system can put it under the rug.

How long does cervical cancer take to develop from HPV?

HPV-related cancers often take years to develop after getting an HPV infection. Cervical cancer usually develops over 10 or more years. There can be a long interval between being infected with HPV, the development of abnormal cells on the cervix and the development of cervical cancer.

How long does it take for cervical cancer to develop from HPV?

Will I always test positive for HPV?

HPV spreads through sexual contact and is very common in young people — frequently, the test results will be positive. However, HPV infections often clear on their own within a year or two.

Should I get a hysterectomy if I have HPV?

Unfortunately, once you have been infected with HPV, there is no treatment that can cure it or eliminate the virus from your system. A hysterectomy removes the cervix, which means that the risk of developing cervical cancer because of persistent HPV infection will essentially be eliminated.

How long do you live with HPV?

Depending on the type of HPV that you have, the virus can linger in your body for years. In most cases, your body can produce antibodies against the virus and clear the virus within one to two years. Most strains of HPV go away permanently without treatment.

Do I need a colposcopy if I have HPV?

Colposcopy. If you have certain symptoms that could mean cancer, if your Pap test shows abnormal cells, or if your HPV test is positive, you will most likely need to have a test called colposcopy.

What happens if you have HPV for 3 years?

If you still have HPV after 3 years, you may need to have a colposcopy. You’ll be asked to have a colposcopy. Information: HPV is a common virus and most people will get it at some point.