I found out I had HPV after a PAP. They told me I could go to a special place to get a treatment. My doctor also told me that I could get it cut out (did that mean it would be gone for good?) or not. she also said i was to come in every 4 months for the first year, every 6 months for the second, then back to my normal once a year after that. It cost i think about $500, but they said I could get a LEEP or something else. I dont remember what it was I had done tho. I cant remember what a LEEP is? and if thats what I had done.. I thoughttt that she had just cut a peice off to have it tested, and she later called me and said results came back and that its lookin good for me. I got off the phone with her, but never did ask what that was supposed to mean. But I never ended up going back in for my paps...not ONE. and its almost been a year :( my mom said not to worry about it cause she cut it completely out and i shouldnt have it anymore. but is that possible, i thought there was no cure or anything they could do for hpv? and also can it really clear up after two years? what if i dont know how long ive had it, cause i didnt know how long i had it before finding out about it.
I have been with the same guy I was with when I found out I had it now for about a year and a half. (all this happened around january 2009) I didnt know if this meant he had it or not too, so we did some research and an article said that guys cannot go to the doctor and get it treated. (yes we were sexually active)
and since i thought i didnt have it anymore (after what my mom said) we thought we would be okay to be sexually active again. he doesnt seem to be having any signs of anything so i thought everything was ok.
then i started getting a strange odor, not fishy, not TERRIBLE, just different, and i didnt like it at all. i also started thinking other people could smell it and it made me nervous.
and now i have little bumps, the size of razor bumps, dont itch dont burn dont anything, dont look like warts, then they just go away after a couple days. my mom says not to worry, its normal to have maybe like a pimple down there or something, but it doesnt look like that either, it doesnt hurt, theres no white head or anything. she also said im just making myself more worried and im just noticing the littlest things. .
im sorry for ranting on so much, but i have no one to talk to about this stuff, and REALLY cannot afford a doctor. im pretty scared and just wanna know whats going on, if i have it still or not, if i got rid of it? then got it again because we became sexually active again and he had it? can he get rid of it if he has it? idk what to do? can someone please help me?
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Hi, Noname123,
Welcome to EmpowHer! And thank you for your question.
I have a few questions for you. When your doctor told you you had HPV, did she mention cervical cancer? Or just HPV? I am slightly confused as to what needed to be "cut out." Can you tell me more about that? Was it a sugical procedure? Did you have anesthesia?
December 3, 2009 - 8:29amThis Comment
Hi Noname123,
I'm going to try and help you, but this is in no way to be taken as a replacement for contacting your OB/GYN both to verify what's going on, and scheduling that follow-up PAP smear. I believe what happened, is:
1. You have HPV. It's the most common of all the Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD). It is not a huge cause for alarm, given how common it is, but I know it can be unsettling to think you have a STD. Here's a link for more info: http://www.cdc.gov/STD/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm
2. You had a pap smear which came back positive for abnormal cell growth, so the doctor did another pap or a biopsy of some sort (I had what's called a cone biopsy, where the doctor takes a tool that looks kind of like a knitting needle with a loop on the end and scoops a tiny cone-shaped bit of your cervix to test the cells).
3. The follow-up pap or biopsy (depending on what your doctor actually did) came back negative.
4. In my experience, once you get a positive read on a pap smear, the doctor likes you to come in every 3 months to check again to ensure no "bad," precancerous cells are present. This is called cervical dysplasia, or abnormal cell growth on the cervix. It is very treatable, and I understand how scary it is. It scared me. But the key is finding it early on so you can get rid of the cells before they have a chance to turn into cancer, which could never happen but better safe than sorry, right?
5. If the biopsy had turned up precancerous cells, the doctor would recommend a procedure such as Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP); I had one 5 years ago. The doctor also could recommend a different procedure, like cryogenically freezing the cells which will then slough off throughout the next month or so as a watery discharge (I had this one a separate time). Cone biopsy also sometime is used to treat cervical dysplasia, as well as laser removal of cells. If you are past child-bearing age, you may opt for a hysterectomy which will remove the cervix, therefore removing likelihood of further infection.
6. Follow-up is key to make sure bad cells don't return. I believe that once you have clear pap smears for a year, you can go back to your annual check-up routine.
7. If you are still of child-bearing age, your doctor may check you when pregnant to verify if you will have an incompetent cervix. All they do if you do have it, is stitch your cervix closed to avoid early dilation/labor.
Hope this all makes sense and helped. Anyone reading this, if you have different information, or are a doctor, please verify and share your experience. Good luck Noname123, and I urge you to be diligent about your health. I realize cost may be a concern for you, but your health is something not to be taken for granted IMO.
December 3, 2009 - 1:33pm~Christine
Im 17, so not over child-bearing age. and she never said anything about freezing cells or anything like that, that i can remember. my mom is going to set up an appointment for me tommorrow. so ill keep ya posted. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP. its nice to know im not the only one that is/has going through this ! (not that i would ever ever want this for anyone else!) it just scares me.
oh and one other question.... one of my dreams is to be a mother one day!!! can this cause infertility? and how would i know if i were to become infertle ?
-NONAME123
December 3, 2009 - 9:50pmChristine---thank you for your excellent information!
Noname123,
Yes, you definitely need to follow-up with your doctor. At first I thought you had a genital wart "cut out", but now I'm wondering if what you were referring to as "cut out" means a biopsy to test for abnormal cells?
HPV is one of those viruses, depending on the strain, that may or may not "go away" on its own. Some strains of HPV can go dormant, as your immune system fights off the infection until it is no longer detectable (think: cold or flu virus). Other strains of HPV do NOT go away and can not be treated by just "cutting it out", as they can lead to long-term complications and disease. It is imperative that you contact your doctor and ask about the recommendation for a LEEP, as they may have found precancerous cells that need to be treated.
If you are having recurring symptoms, you must have these checked out by your doctor. You and your boyfriend could be infecting one-another if you have any active genital warts or "bumps", and you may want to use condoms until you know what strain of HPV you have, and if the bumps are HPV or something else. I disagree with your mom: pimples are not all that common by your genital area, but some women do get bumps from ingrown hairs/razor burn. Can you tell if the bump is near a hair follicle?
Your boyfriend could have HPV, most likely does if you are having unprotected sex as it is HIGHLY infectious from one person to another (in fact, stats show that up to 80% of all sexually active women will have been infected with HPV in their lifetime---that is how common this STD is!). Again--it is important to know which type of HPV strain you have. There are no good STD tests for men unless they are symptomatic (have an active wart, lesion, penile discharge, etc) as there are for women.
Let us know what additional information you need, and please update us on what your doctor says! You can always call the nurse at your doctor's office with specific questions (call during a non-busy time for the office) with a list of your questions and write down the answers. Don't be shy!
December 3, 2009 - 2:14pmThank u so much for your help. I dont think and dont remember ever having anything cut out, so i was sure i still have it. my mom just said that i shouldnt have it anymore cause she thought they "cut it out" so it got me confused. i told her i didnt think they cut anything out or off. i do believe the doc just took a little bit of something...maybe my cervix? to test for abnormal cells? then maybe thats y she called and said everything looks good?
i really do need to go get another check up, after that last one with my doctor i never went back, i was way too shy and just felt sick to my stomach everytime, didnt even want to think about it. but now i realize i need to know about it and know whats going on with myself. ya know?
is there anyway for my boyfriend to get rid of it, iff he has it?
ya the bump went away so i dont really remember if it was by hair but i tend to get them when i shave.
they dont hurt or anything and go away fast, so im not sure.
i dont feel like im having any symptoms? but yet im afraid i still have it, and i want to do somethingg about it.
thanks again soooo much for your help!
-NONAME123
December 3, 2009 - 9:44pmHi Noname123,
Good for you for being proactive, despite your shyness. I know it's not easy to overcome that, and you may have some other difficulties. But your health is sooooo important. I'm so glad you're a part of EmpowHER!
You owe it to yourself to take care of yourself, and really can't rely on anyone else to do it for you. You have to ask for help from your parents, or just do it for yourself. And if there's shortcomings in your insurance, tell your doctor or the nurses and see if they can bring the price down for you. There's no harm in asking, and only benefits to be gained in sticking up for yourself.
I don't know too much about male HPV. I know a lot of people have it generally speaking. I would say that you should worry about yourself, and keep up your appointments with your chosen doctor, to ensure your own good health.
From what you said, maybe they did do a biopsy of some kind to check for precancerous growth? And your doctor said it isn't necessary to treat at this time? That is the thing with HPV...there really are no obvious symptoms, so you really need the doctor to keep tabs on your condition and make sure it doesn't turn ugly. I would definitely call and set up that annual pap (and especially if you're on birth control, because you need it to get your next prescription, which may be coming due if you were there in January '09). While you're there, ask the questions like Alison said, and bring pen and paper to take notes. There is no shame in being a strong woman!!
December 3, 2009 - 10:04pmYou go girl, and keep us posted so we know you're alright.
~Christine
Regarding a diagnosed mild cervical displasia. Is there any natural/ alternative treatment other than LEEP?
December 9, 2009 - 6:39pmIf LEEP is my only option right now, how long afetr the procedure does it take for the pap smear results to come back as normal again?
Thank you
There are several treatment options for mild cervical dysplasia:
Cone Biopsy
This biopsy is the removal of a tiny cone-shaped piece of tissue from the opening of the cervix. The biopsy will be analyzed. The results will show whether any of the abnormal cell growth is cancerous.
Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP)
A small biopsy of the cervix is taken with a wire loop heated by electric current. The results will show whether any of the abnormal cells are cancerous.
Cryosurgery
Cryosurgery freezes and destroys the dysplasia on the cervix. This method is not recommended for treating large areas of dysplasia.
Laser Treatment
Laser treatment uses a concentrated, high-energy beam of light to destroy abnormal cells. This method is more favorable than cryosurgery because there is less destruction of surrounding normal tissue than with some other methods. Although healing is faster than with other methods, laser treatment is expensive, and not always widely available.
If Cancer Is Found
Cone biopsy and LEEP are usual curative for dysplasia. However, if the cone biopsy or LEEP biopsy shows cancer, surgery, radiation therapy, or chemoradiotherapy may be used. Your doctor will discuss these options with you.
Unfortunately, once there have been cellular changes ("dysplasia"), there have not been any proven effective "natural" treatments except to remove/destroy the cells.
After your procedure, your doctor will want to see you for a pap smear every 3-6 months (approx.), and the results of these future pap smears will depend on many factors (amount of abnormal cells removed, exact location of cells, etc.) before your abnormal results turn to normal.
Does this help?
December 10, 2009 - 2:52pmIt does help. Thank you for your response.
December 23, 2009 - 3:48pmHi Allison,
I am about to have HPV (the kind that is precancerous) and am about to have a Leep. The doctor told me that if my fiancee has it he COULD give it back to me. You need to go and get another pap and soon. Precancerous cells they can usually remove (like in my case), however, if you wait too long it can turn into cervical cancer. That could eventually kill you, and I know money is tight, but cancer would be a lot more devistating and expensive. It can also make it so you can't have children. I'm sorry your in such a hard situation. It is really important that you go get tested. Maybe look into something like blue cross blue shield. Or, maybe type in something like low cost health insurance, or state run health insurance. GO GET TESTED regardless. I'll pray for you.... I hope it all turns out all right in the end. God Bless. If you need someone to talk to, feel free to respond. I told it to e-mail me if someone comments on this post.
April 12, 2010 - 6:38pm