HPV stands for Human Papilloma Virus. An HPV test is the test used to screen for cervical cancer. It involves a swab that’s taken to collect cells from the surface of the cervix.
HPV is actually a group of very common viruses that affect the skin and cells which line your body cavities.
There are around 100 different types, and it’s thought that around 8 in 10 people will be infected with the virus in their lifetime. Most people won’t even know they have it, but some types of HPV in some people can go on to cause problems.
Those problems can include things like genital warts, and some kinds of cancer.
Almost all cases of cervical cancer in the UK are linked to HPV. Which is why testing for HPV is such an effective way of checking for the very earliest stages of cervical cancer.
Anyone can get HPV. It’s usually but not always transmitted through skin-to-skin contact in the genital area. It can live in your body for a long time without causing any symptoms or issues.
If the cells collected are positive for HPV, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have cervical cancer. If HPV is found, your swab is normally checked further, looking for any cells that have started to mutate.
Again, finding abnormal cells doesn’t mean you’ve got cervical cancer, either, but it does indicate that changes are taking place that could lead to cancer, and will need to be treated.
If abnormal cells are found, you’ll be sent for further investigations. Cells can be removed and biopsied. What happens next depends on whether cancer is found, what type of cancer and what stage it’s at. Cervical cancer treatment can involve surgery to remove part or all of the affected area, and then chemotherapy or radiotherapy to kill any remaining cancer cells.
The really good news is that if caught early enough, around 98% of cervical cancers are actually preventable. And even when cancer develops it’s very treatable.
You’ll be given a self-collection vaginal swab kit to take a sample from the comfort of your own home. You’ll get full instructions on how to take the sample, and how to send it off to our labs.
It’s a great option for those who don’t want to go for a smear test at their GP, or those looking to test more often than the NHS screening programme, which invites women for an HPV test every 3-5 years.
You’ll get your results online within a week or so, alongside your other health assessment tests and checks. At that point, you can call our GP service to discuss anything that’s worrying you. If your HPV test is positive, they’ll advise you to take the results to your own GP for further investigation.
HPV tests are usually very accurate, but there will be some false positives. Most Bluecrest Wellness customers would rather be safe than sorry, and rather know than not know. Positive results are easily checked out, which means things can be ruled out or found out fast.
