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"Having had experience of an STI last year, I’ve been researching STI’s and I’m confused about HPV. Why doesn’t it get tested for in the usual STI home tests? Why is it only tested for when you get a smear test? " I assume because the only test for it is the smear. To offer smears so frequently (for those that test regularly) I assume a cost issue. HPV often displays as warts which would then be tested. | |||
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"Having had experience of an STI last year, I’ve been researching STI’s and I’m confused about HPV. Why doesn’t it get tested for in the usual STI home tests? Why is it only tested for when you get a smear test? " Home testing is a quick fix, go to a sti clinic, they do a much better job. Just explain you need testing for HPV, turns out there are many types and not all are harmful or vaccinated against. | |||
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"Having had experience of an STI last year, I’ve been researching STI’s and I’m confused about HPV. Why doesn’t it get tested for in the usual STI home tests? Why is it only tested for when you get a smear test? Home testing is a quick fix, go to a sti clinic, they do a much better job. Just explain you need testing for HPV, turns out there are many types and not all are harmful or vaccinated against." Hpv is tested for by a smear test | |||
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"Having had experience of an STI last year, I’ve been researching STI’s and I’m confused about HPV. Why doesn’t it get tested for in the usual STI home tests? Why is it only tested for when you get a smear test? " Because they don’t look for virus in smear test but changes in the cells. You can ask at gum clinics to be vaccinated against 90% of hpv viruses if you are in high risk category | |||
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"Having had experience of an STI last year, I’ve been researching STI’s and I’m confused about HPV. Why doesn’t it get tested for in the usual STI home tests? Why is it only tested for when you get a smear test? Because they don’t look for virus in smear test but changes in the cells. You can ask at gum clinics to be vaccinated against 90% of hpv viruses if you are in high risk category " Yes they do look for it. Things changed a few years back. They test for hpv first then if positive check for cell changes. | |||
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"Having had experience of an STI last year, I’ve been researching STI’s and I’m confused about HPV. Why doesn’t it get tested for in the usual STI home tests? Why is it only tested for when you get a smear test? Because they don’t look for virus in smear test but changes in the cells. You can ask at gum clinics to be vaccinated against 90% of hpv viruses if you are in high risk category Yes they do look for it. Things changed a few years back. They test for hpv first then if positive check for cell changes. "  | |||
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"Having had experience of an STI last year, I’ve been researching STI’s and I’m confused about HPV. Why doesn’t it get tested for in the usual STI home tests? Why is it only tested for when you get a smear test? " I believe you need cells for testing - these are easy to collect from the cervix - ie, a smear. Apparently it is difficult to get a cell sample from the penis. Seemingly people can have the virus for years with no symptoms (ie, it is an invisible virus)... your immune system is supposed to be able to clear it after a few years (i think that means when the virus is activated) There is a vaccination programme for pre-teens to try and reduce the increasing infections - i read a stat somewhere that 80% of the population will have it in their lifetime - i think it is the second most common sti after Chlamydia It can cause cancer (vulva, vagina, penis, anus + throat) which is why it is tested for in the smear | |||
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"Like Op we have looked (and worried) a lot at HPV, NHS has a good website about it. The short version is "don't worry it's like the common cold of the STI world". However it's very small potential to cause cancer does cause us to worry more than we should. Like Op we are of an age where we didn't get the vaccine at school and aren't eligible for a free NHS one. Younger people can basically not worry about HPV, but people our age are highly likely to get exposed to it via swinging due to the usual safe sex protections being not totally effective at preventing transmission. A private vaccine is about £200, if you worry about HPV and have the money I would say it's the quickest way to get peace of mind. Men who sleep with men can get a vaccine on the NHS, but they don't have the same provision for women who sleep with women which I find odd as transmission there seems even more likely. Cost conscious couples can pack the bloke off to the GUM clinic to be gay for a day, and split the cost for the woman to nip to the pharmacy!! As to why it's not in an STI test... Beyond problems with getting a sample, I would say vaccination has made it not a priority. The most promiscuous age group are now protected from it so it's not a priority for public health testing. All the oldies are supposed to have become monogamous or nuns by now." | |||
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"Thanks all for your responses. The “common cold of the STI world” struck a chord. Still seems odd that it’s not asked about or tested for in the sti testing. We’ve told the GUM clinic we swing and they’ve never suggested it. Might look down the private route for a vaccine. I’d also read there are lots of different types. " There isn't a test for men to be offered, as like someone else said it requires certain cells to be scraped away for testing. HPV vaccine also isn't available for the over 45s | |||
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"Having had experience of an STI last year, I’ve been researching STI’s and I’m confused about HPV. Why doesn’t it get tested for in the usual STI home tests? Why is it only tested for when you get a smear test? " Probably because there isn't any treatment for it. They do it in cervical screening because it's a risk factor for cancer. | |||
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"Thanks all for your responses. The “common cold of the STI world” struck a chord. Still seems odd that it’s not asked about or tested for in the sti testing. We’ve told the GUM clinic we swing and they’ve never suggested it. Might look down the private route for a vaccine. I’d also read there are lots of different types. " When you think about the cost of screening something that they can't treat, it's understandable in my opinion. Most people's immune systems remove the virus within 2 years, if a woman still has it by year 3 they are sent for a colposcopy for a more indepth look and if there aren't any changes found they discharge them back to 3 yearly cervical screening. They obviously aren't concerned about it. As for the vaccination it's seen as most beneficial for children before a certain age because they are less likely to have been sexually active. Once you are sexually active and clocking the numbers up you've more than likely already had the virus. I'd ask myself if it's worth paying for the vaccination. | |||
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"Having had experience of an STI last year, I’ve been researching STI’s and I’m confused about HPV. Why doesn’t it get tested for in the usual STI home tests? Why is it only tested for when you get a smear test? Because they don’t look for virus in smear test but changes in the cells. You can ask at gum clinics to be vaccinated against 90% of hpv viruses if you are in high risk category " Actually they now look for the virus first in a smear test. If you are hpv negative they don't even check the cells anymore. They only check cells if you show hpv positive. | |||
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"Thanks all for your responses. The “common cold of the STI world” struck a chord. Still seems odd that it’s not asked about or tested for in the sti testing. We’ve told the GUM clinic we swing and they’ve never suggested it. Might look down the private route for a vaccine. I’d also read there are lots of different types. " Most people over 40 will already have had contact with hpv. The vaccine is only effective if given before you are sexually active which is why it is only offered to teenagers by the nhs. Not much point having it as an adult, just a money making scam for private clinics. | |||
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"Thanks all for your responses. The “common cold of the STI world” struck a chord. Still seems odd that it’s not asked about or tested for in the sti testing. We’ve told the GUM clinic we swing and they’ve never suggested it. Might look down the private route for a vaccine. I’d also read there are lots of different types. Most people over 40 will already have had contact with hpv. The vaccine is only effective if given before you are sexually active which is why it is only offered to teenagers by the nhs. Not much point having it as an adult, just a money making scam for private clinics." How can it be so prevalent and yet no one seems to know about it? | |||
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"Thanks all for your responses. The “common cold of the STI world” struck a chord. Still seems odd that it’s not asked about or tested for in the sti testing. We’ve told the GUM clinic we swing and they’ve never suggested it. Might look down the private route for a vaccine. I’d also read there are lots of different types. Most people over 40 will already have had contact with hpv. The vaccine is only effective if given before you are sexually active which is why it is only offered to teenagers by the nhs. Not much point having it as an adult, just a money making scam for private clinics. How can it be so prevalent and yet no one seems to know about it? " It's always been there just we didn't know about it. Screening and vaccinations for it are reasonably new so most people who have been sexually active will have come into contact with it. Most peoples bodies will fight it and get rid of it naturally. This is why if they find it on your smear but your cells are normal they just rescreen after 12 months. A lot of the time it has cleared by the next screening. | |||
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".How can it be so prevalent and yet no one seems to know about it? " I think people hear about it more and more nowadays. All kids are vaccinated against it in secondary school so a letter comes home to say thats being done which also explains what HPV is. Also people are speaking out about it more - Michael Douglas said HPV spread through oral sex was the cause of his throat cancer. 80% of "sexually active" adults have had HPV at some point, though there are 200+ types. This is where the comparison to the common cold is a fair one. | |||
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