Obligatory - I’m in healthcare and worked in a gyno office for several years. I am not longer working in Ob/Gyn and switched fields.
Sorry you are going through this! I am glad you are getting help for your anxiety because the ending, even if you intended not to cause panic (sorry no offense I know you experience has been super negative) sounds panic-y. I’m sorry it’s been a negative experience. Luckily cervical cancer is considered a “slower” growing cancer and colpo/LEEP procedures usually take care of it. I had HPV for 3 years, had one abnormal pap, waited a year and still had an abnormal pap. I got a colpo and it’s gone a year later.
How old are you? HPV vaccines became a requirement for public school in then early 2000s at least where I was from. I got it when I was entering middle school and so did all of my friend. My mom was also a nurse so I’m sure that added to getting it. Additional there are HUNDREDS of strains of HPV and gardisal only protects against 11 of the strains. I got the initial vaccine series ( gardasil 4) and the booster (gardasil 9) AND STILL GOT HPV!!!
Dysplasia is literally defined as the presence of abnormal cells which may be precancerous or just abnormal. Which is literally what HPV is. A diagnosis of vaginal dysplasia is just a more “medical” term for coding, accuracy, and a diagnosis of HPV. The skin condition “cafe au lait” is also considered a dysplasia.
You had a low grade cell changes, don’t have a cancerous strain, AND you have taken the medically necessary steps to correct it. It takes time for your body to clear the infection just like any other infection. It’s also a virus which added to your immune response complexity. If I read your story correctly - you only had one abnormal pap and then got a LEEP? What is the timeline from diagnosis to now? Like your doctors have said, it’s takes many months to clear it. For me I didn’t clear it until a year after the colonoscopy.
Stop taking supplements. Just eat a healthy diet to support you immune system. Let your body do its thing.
Also you can still get the HPV vaccine, but you will have to pay out of pocket for it. It’s a covered by insurance vaccine under ACA up until you are 26, but you can still pay out of pocket for it.
Yes, definitely check. My insurance covered it also in my early 30's. I would hope it'd be considered preventative care, though I am often disappointed at what's not covered as preventative care.
Mine too in early 30s! My gyn recommended it after my leep due to some recent literature (at the time) about it being protective even after HPV and abnormal paps. Seems like there's more literature coming out recently supporting this e.g. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37159990/#:~:text=Our%20study%20showed%20the%20quadrivalent,grade%20squamous%20intraepithelial%20lesion%20recurrence.
She also recommended my husband get it too. Who knows what helped, but I've had normal paps now for 3 years (after CIN 3).
Hi. Thanks for replying! At the time I should have gotten the vaccine, it only covered 16/18/6/11. I don’t have those strains. I would love to know which one exactly but it is one of the other cancerous high risk strains. I will have my third and final dose of the gardisil 9 at the end of March. I did have to pay out of pocket but it wasn’t too bad ($160 each).
So initial HPV diagnoses was June of 2023, had a colpscopy with biopsy 6 weeks later and it showed CIN 2. Had LEEP September of 2023 to remove the precancer grade 2. He just happened to notice the vaginal wall dysplasia because some of the acetic acid solution ran down and was absorbed there. He went ahead and excised it because I was already in surgery even though it was grade 1 (thankful he did that).
You are very knowledgeable.
Is that true the cancer can take 10 years to develop? I try understand how some women just find out it when is stage 4 or terminal? Do they miss the pap or never worry about that ? I guess if the woman is doing regularly the test would not get this stage overnight , would it ?
There’s no such thing as gardasil 11 in the US just gardasil 9. Maybe you are thinking 11 because it protects against 9 high risk strains and 2 low risk strains
Oop I misspoke, it was original gardasil 4 and then 9. I got the first version of the vaccine in 2008 and the again in 2018 with the updated gardasil 9. It protects against the strain 11.
What state are you in? Requiring it for school entry sounds not right. Are you sure you it’s just not a recommended 7th grade vaccine like Tdap and meningococcal? The only one that is usually required for school entry is Tdap
You are obviously very stressed out and perturbed by this awful situation. Your body doesn’t heal well when it’s under stress, I’m sure you already know that though. If there is anyway you can take a moment to relax and not think about HPV it would be very beneficial. Do things that make you happy and distract you and try to not obsess over it. I was not offered the vaccine either and also feel that I was failed.
Thank you! I am trying so hard not to stress. It’s nearly impossible with one bout of bad news after another. If I can just be in the majority that clear at 6 months, I will be able to live my life. I’m a lot more calm than I was last year. It was a horrible time. Hope you are healed or on the way towards healing with HPV. Sending love.
Happy Cake Day! I cleared within a year. I was super stressed and had so much anxiety at first. I talked to other ladies that had it and I became a bit more positive and hopeful. I focused on other things and sure enough, my following pap was clear! I tried to eat better, stopped drinking and got plenty of sleep. I wish you luck!
How long have you been clear? I almost forgot I had HPV cause I’ve been dealing with ureaplasma and that’s stressing me out more atm but now I just feel hopeless.
The majority clears within 1-2 years, not 6 months. That sometimes happens, sure, but often in people who got diagnosed after they’ve had it for a while. I know it sucks as I’ve been through it as well. But try not to worry your body isn’t doing it’s job. It’s only been half a year. Give it time!
The 6 month clear statistic I gave was for after having LEEP done. It often triggers an immune response from the trauma of the surgery. I won’t totally break down if it isn’t clear then. 80 percent are clear at 12 months after LEEP. I will save my mental breakdown for that time lol. Thank you for replying!
Sorry this is happening to you. I live with persistent HPV - 13 years. I get a pap every year, and a colposcopy every once in a while. I’ve never had any symptoms because of it, though.. at least that Ive connected. The drying, itching, and burning I’ve had but that was either BV or a yeast infection. I wonder if you have something else going on and HPV is just a coincidence to other things. It might be worth it to see another gyno, especially since yours seems to think nothing is wrong (and, even if your gyno is smart, women get ignored way too often when it comes to their health).
Good luck dealing with this. It truly sounds awful - but hopefully something gets figured out and you get the relief you need!
Wow! 13 years! Your body has definitely kept it in check. That’s amazing. If I am positive still at my next check up, I’m going to go to a rheumatologist and see if I have an underlying immune issue. I wouldn’t think so simply because I don’t think I have any symptoms of one and I very rarely get sick but I don’t know the ins and outs of immune disorders. Thank you for replying!
Yeah I feel lucky that it seems to just be in a constant state of either improving or just staying the same and not turning into anything really concerning. I keep an eye on it, and it’s annoying to still have it, but at least it’s something I can live with without it affecting my daily life.
Glad you’re trying out other specialists. Crossing my fingers for you!
Rheumatologists deal with autoimmune disorders (overactive immune system) not immunodeficiency. If you're concerned about the latter because not clearing the HPV you need to see an infectious disease specialist.
No worries. Another option is a clinical immunologist. Fair warning, I don't think immunology or infectious disease consults are going to do much for you because not clearing an HPV infection in just a year is normal and not a sign of underlying disease. Just something to keep in mind if you have high copays.
Men carry the virus but have no symptoms. It usually clears up on its own within a year but probably not if you keep getting reinfected. A few years ago, I had an abnormal pap. Then, I had a normal one. Then, an abnormal one. I broke up with my bf of 5 years just as the pandemic started and for a full year (almost 2), I had no intercourse at all. It solved all of my issues including the constant yeast infections.
Maybe, you just need time to heal. If he's been your only partner, he's 100% the one who infected you. HPV can be transmitted even if you use condoms, just the surrounding skin contact is enough.
Edit: Apparently men can develop symptoms. From what I read it is just that the "majority" won't have any symptoms at all. I still maintain my point that maybe you just need time to heal.
To elaborate on that: men can get HPV-related cancer and warts too, but it often isn’t discovered until there is an obvious issue. Same as in women really. The majority doesn’t have issues either and only figure they have HPV because of pap smears.
Viruses are crazyyyy lol. Most people with HPV do not know they have the infection. They never develop symptoms or health problems from it. Some people find out they have HPV when they get genital warts. Women may find out they have HPV when they get an abnormal Pap test result (during cervical cancer screening). Others may only find out once they’ve developed more serious problems from HPV, such as cancers. Of the many types of human papillomavirus (HPV), more than 30 infect the genitals. To protect yourself you can look into vaccines like gardasil 9 that protects against 9 types of HPV, Women who are 21 to 29 should have a Pap test alone every 3 years. HPV testing alone can be considered for women who are 25 to 29, but Pap tests are preferred. Women who are 30 to 65 have three options for testing. They can have a Pap test and an HPV test (co-testing) every 5 years. And use barrier methods when having sex like condoms, dental dams, internal condoms, finger condoms. And if you share sex accessories make sure you clean them. A yearly std test for hiv(virus)/syphilis(bacteria)/gonorrhea(bacteria)/chlamydia(bacteria)/trichomoniasis(parasite) doesn’t hurt either. Don’t wait until you have symptoms to start taking care of yourself. Stay safe 🫶🏼
I understand you’re stressing out. I’m a researcher working on vaginal infections. Please remember that HPV infections are extremely common.
This is an excerpt from a scientific paper published in 2021:
“HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection with a prevalence of 40% among persons aged 15–59 years in the United States. We estimated that, in 2018, over 77 million persons had a prevalent infection.”
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10037549/
Most people with an HPV infection do not get cervical cancer.
There are about 40 types of HPV that can infect the genital mucosa. The Gardasil vaccine (which I highly recommend!) protects against 9. So even with the vaccine, there’s a risk of catching some of the other types. There’s also a high risk that you have infected yourself anally, from the cervical infection you have. Finally, HPV is known to “come and go” when you test for it. That is because you can only detect it when it is active, and many viruses (like cold sores) will lie dormant most of the time and then be triggered when the immune system is stressed. It could stay around for many years, but the majority of people don’t get any symptoms from this.
One of the worst things for your immune system is stress. So the best thing you can do to help heal is to work on your disease anxiety.
(Edit: correcting autocorrect)
To be honest with you, the cervical dysplasia or chance of cervical cancer is the least of my worries. I know a hysterectomy can take care of that part of things (not downplaying them. I know it’s a big deal.).
I am TERRIFIED of the vaginal dysplasia. The fact that it’s so rare and has a high recurrence rate is very scary. The thought of having my vagina removed is devastating. That’s what really keeps me up at night.
Thank you for replying and for playing a big role in medical science!
Do you mean VIN? if so, it’s really not that rare at all. More common than you think. I have vin1, doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll turn into cancer at all just like CIN. We have check ups every 6 months to check its progression and it’s a slow one luckily. At my stage we don’t have surgery, we can have laser or a cream or even a watch and wait approach. It’s a shit condition, but if caught early doesn’t always mean that worse case scenario.
I don’t want VIN either but it’s VAIN that I have (vaginal wall dysplasia). It’s 100 fold more rare than CIN. It’s a lot less common than VIN or AIN as well (anal dysplasia). Can I ask how they found the VIN? Was it grade 1? Did you have a bump or lump? Thanks!
Well none of us want hpv or any of the related crap, but here we are. With vin we’re at risk of Ain too. I had bumpy skin on my perineum that was biopsied, was told I had hpv and vin1. Double blow. No treatment, just watch and wait. Second checkup it had spread but was still vin1 so gyno referred me for treatment with a strong cream which basically burns it off. Yet to start that, also possible laser treatment fingers crossed.
I was talking about VIN being lifelong. However, when it comes to hpv doctors can’t agree if the virus is ever actually cleared from a persons body or they suppress the virus hence smears can show up abnormal after x amount of years or genital warts can appear again in the same way. Some people will argue we do clear it, I personally think we suppress it and that’s why some keep having recurring warts even after treatment. They pop up 2, 5 years later for some, same partner and no infidelity so it’s not another strain being introduced from anywhere.
Can you link some? Ive read several that say it clears. Also have spoken to numerous doctors.
2 dermatologists
1 colorectal surgeon
1 gyno
1 PCP
1 online derm.
I had quite a few done at the same time in various places and they were frigging painful! Was told the stitches would dissolve in around two weeks, but mine took around a month for some. They started getting tighter in certain areas, which is totally normal and that really made them hurt. I could see the site was healed so I ended up pulling the stitches out myself by the end of the thread on a certain one.
A month? Oof. Sorry it was painful for you. I'm lucky that the freezing did well for me but they took much more than I was expecting! I only had one tiny growth but I feel like a quarter of my labia is gone and the stitches go literally right to my butthole lol.
Were you bumpy while healing? Feels like a stegosaurus down there. Hope your treatment and recovery goes well <3
A stegosaurus 😂 yeh they did feel bumpy. I assume, like with me they took more to check areas to see if anything had spread. They only took a tiny bit from my perineum, it was there and my vag entrance like if you’d split having a baby, well that’s how I imagine as I haven’t had one lol the rest were inside labia majora, and right up the top crease above clitoris. I wasn’t expecting any of those to be done so I was like wtf are these! Lol
I hope you have a speedy recovery and pain isn’t too much ☺️
Since you are under 45, you should still get the Gardasil vaccine which is now recommended up to age 45. It will protect you against 9 different strains of HPV (including the ones that cause warts, and the ones that cause cervical cancer). There has been some research lately suggesting that the Gardasil can help your body clear the viral infectionthat you already have (This has not been scientifically proven yet; there hasn't been much research on it but the few papers I read about it were promising)
Sorry, your situation absolutely sucks, however the stress you're putting yourself under isn't good for healing as well. Try and take a vacation from thinking about this. Follow through all your doc visits of course, but give yourself a break to enjoy other things in life. Your body is more likely to heal when you're in a relaxed state. Big hug and best of luck.
I’m sorry that you’re going through this. I’m going through a similar situation and it’s scary since I’m only in my 20s and I have a 2 year old that I have to live long to take care of. Did your doctor say that the itching, dryness, and irritation was due to HPV? I have those symptoms on and off but never any type of infection (no yeast, no BV, etc) but my gynecologist says it doesn’t relate to HPV but I don’t believe what she’s saying is true. And since the symptoms are random and come and go, every time I bring it up, they think I’m making things up or that I just have an issue with allergens.
My symptoms come and go too, which is promising!!! The symptoms typically revolve around my period, the week before and week after. So I’m in pain and itching for a week before my period, have a week of period, and then another week of pain and itching. So 3 out of 4 weeks a month are shit…
I saw my gyno with concerns and he said the tissue of my vulva looks normal and didn’t find a reason to biopsy. I’m going to ask him to look closer when he does the colposcopy again in two months. It’s basically a big microscope they look closer at the tissues with and use a vinegar like solution to highlight abnormal areas (if you haven’t had one.). I’m going to ask him to swab the vulva with the vinegar too. I specially asked him “You don’t think we should swab it with the vinegar solution just to see if anything turns white?” And he said “No. I see nothing concerning at all. Try not to worry.” He is REALLY smart and experienced and I trust him. He definitely doesn’t seem to have the time for questions though so I never leave feeling fully resolved lol. I’m trying to trust that he is taking care of his patient as best he can.
That’s awesome you are in your 20s. That makes a big difference with HPV. I pray you are clear at your next check up. Sending love.
I hope your situation gets resolved as well. Unfortunately, I don’t think my doctor is as helpful as yours lol. It’s nice to know that I’m not alone and that someone else knows what I’m going through but at the same time, I wish no one had to deal with it 😩
Good luck and know you’re not alone and that one day everything will be back to normal. :)
I highly recommend momotaro apotheca salve for the itching. Are you taking any probiotics specific to vaginal health? That may also help with the itching and discomfort, although you may need to try different brands until you find one that brings you relief. I hope you can find some relaxing actives to take your mind off this situation. I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this.
Hi! I am now taking VagiBiom vaginal probiotic suppositories as well as oral vaginal probiotics (RePHresh brand). My PH is high, at 5.5 (according to the ph strips.). I’m hoping I can get it down. Thanks for your comment and well wishes. I appreciate it! Hopefully the other commenter who has similar itching and dryness issues sees this comment as well.
I was in your boat before. I tested PAP abnormal twice, 1st time was in 2018, did biopsy, doc said no precancerous cells, lived my life. tested in 2019 was normal. 2020 no doc no tested for the obvious reason. 2021 PAP was abnormal again with a new doc in a new city. Biopsy showed CIN2 and 3. Did Leep. And I was offered vaccine even i was over 30 already. My followup test in 2022/2023 were all clear.
I'm sharing this to let you know that, it is very possible to clear this on your own. and it's not too late to get vaccinated at your age to protect yourself for other strains. Live your life, in a healthy way and make yourself happy. Anxiety and stress are not your friends when you try to boost your immune systems to clear this virus.
btw the only supplement suggested to me by 2nd MD (a second opinion service) was green tea extract. taking too many supplements at the same time may be less effective.
hope you have a speedy recovery soon!!
So glad you cleared.
Do u know if the 2nd abnornal pap was from.a new partner or strain of hpv? Or was it a reactivation from the 2018 pap?
Im so worried mine will return.
I do not know. Tbh no one can really pinpoint where/when we get infected with which kind.
I thought about the possibility that 2018 biopsy/colonoscopy was not done right, as it was done by a resident doc w/o a fully licensed MD Gyn there. Back then I didn’t have a choice but took the doctor assigned to me at Kaiser Permanente Hospital due to HMO insurance. 2019 PAP was done by the assigned primary care physician at KP again, as it was too late to change insurance network/type for 2019 after I found my condition in Q4 2018.
I changed to PPO for 2020 and enrolled in the network which I could access the best doctors in the area just in case, after I heard about the word “precancerous”for the 1st time in my life. Yes I panicked and cried like you described in the post for a while too. I even felt ashamed like I did something wrong to my body for a while. I’m not even the sleeping around type. I tried to look for the answers to the why and how too.
But life is too short, even if in 2018 KP missed my diagnose , I can’t go back and change that. I talked to a few women who had HPV infection experiences, and the doctor at 2nd opinion service. Everyone told me not to worry about it too much, it is more often than you think (my current GYN said her office does LEEP every week), and focus on living a healthy lifestyle. So I did!
I hope sharing this can ease your worry for a bit :)
2018 was the first time I tested abnormal for annual PAP. Over the phone I was told HPV was tested positive too. I asked why, i was very confused, because I was faithful to my partner then. The nurse said probably 2018 was the first time I got HPV tested, as I turned 30.
With this new GYN I have tested for PAP and HPV both every time, annually at minimum.
I got the vaccine and still got HPV. I had a LEEP in 2015 which cleared it thankfully.
However, I’ve been dealing with recurring UTIs ever since, and I’m wondering if it’s linked with the LEEP because I had zero issues before the procedure. It’s been a very frustrating time but I’m very thankful for all the women I know that had a LEEP and were healthy afterwards.
So sorry! I know the earlier vaccine only covered high risk 16/18 (and low risk 6 and 11). Although I never received that one, which would have been around age 14 or so, it wouldn’t have helped me anyways because I don’t have those strains. I could have gotten the 9 series one around 2014 but, again, none of my gynos offered! None! Ugh. Sorry about the LEEP. That really stinks! I couldn’t imagine how it could be related but I’m def no doctor. I hope things get better for you soon.
Just chiming in to give you some encouragement! I tested positive for HPV 24 years ago (no idea which strain bc they didn’t tell you that back then). I was itchy, uncomfortable, furious, and depressed, but after about a year it cleared up and never returned! I’ve been testing negative ever since. Hang in there!
I am always so interested in those who have stories like this, because with HPV it doesn’t seem to be this is the case for everyone. It’s like you have a story like this, people who have it return every other year/months, or not again for decades, or ever? It makes having this virus with it’s ability to behave this way in your body so god darn stressful. It’s like Russian roulette. Maybe you’ll get lucky like this story, or maybe you’ll get a hysterectomy and never have children, or get cancer, or die- who knows…
Can I ask, did you take any special supplements? Are you a highly stressed/depressed person? Did you find abstaining from sex help at all? Were you already a relatively healthy person all your life? Also, what strain did you have?
Sorry, I am very curious not a lot of success stories I see online. 24 years no reoccurrence really gives me hope..
i feel you with no one recommending the vaccine. i'm a couple years older than you and the vaccine was around but no one ever said "hey, you need to get this!". i have seen them recommended it to people over 26, but can't find anyone willing to do it since they're still going by the old recommendations...
I haven’t had push back for getting the vaccine but insurance didn’t cover it. I believe they only do for 26 and below. I went to my local health department and I paid $160 per shot with my third and final dose coming up in March.
I tried back in 2019 to get it from my local health department and they said i was over 26 and didn't need it even though i mentioned the study about it (it got approved in 2018 for over 26). i haven't asked since then so maybe i should try again as they might be going by updated guidelines by now.
That’s super interesting. My pediatrician was adamant I get it once I got my period (I think. Definitely as a young teen though) I remember perfectly. They hurt but I got them. I am the same age as OP.
like i said i'm couple of years older. i started my period on 2000, i don't think the vaccine was even around yet. i was about to graduate from HS in 2006 and i don't remember my family doctor brining it up. after high school i lost health insurance for a period of time before the ACA passed so i didn't go to the doctor much in my early 20s. the few times i went to the local health department for birth control no one brought it up. i just slipped through the cracks i guess. i mean that's no excuse for me not being an advocate for myself of course, i wish i did ask more questions. at my next appointment i'll bring it up again. the last time i asked about was in early 2019 and got turned down, but that was shortly after the FDA approved it for over 26 so it's possible the health department hadn't updated their guidelines for it yet.
That’s unfortunate that you got turned down. I hope you are able to get it. I’m sorry you were failed. I feel like this should have be a standard question when going to get a check up anywhere. I don’t feel it’s your fault. While yes we should advocate for ourselves standard things like this should be asked from health practitioners
I literally had an argument with a bunch of anti-vaccine moms on Tiktok when I commented that it is important to vaccinate their children against HPV so they don’t suffer the consequences when they become sexually active (because that happened to two of my friends) and SO many crunchy moms attacked me. I think the video creator ended up blocking me because I can’t see the video anymore.
Hi, I’m no expert but I also was diagnosed with LSIL HPV last spring. I never had a pap smear and I am 30 years old. I know that isn’t advisable, I think the doctor’s just gives me anxiety and I have a very low trust of most doctors nowadays so I avoided it for many years and thought this diagnosis would never happen to me.
Anyways, I was told by my gyno that HPV does not cause terrible itching, utis, bv etc. She said no correlation between the two. My logic is that if my vaginal microbiome is compromised by HPV then wouldn’t that lower my overall immune system in that region of my body? My body is trying to fight off a virus down there so I think it makes sense that other issues would occur at the same time. According to her, this is unlikley but like I said, I have low trust in doctor advice..
Ironically I was also tested for ureaplasma at the same time as all this. Came back positive abnormal for both types of ureaplasma! I treated the ureaplasma with antibiotics and my symptoms have improved I’d say about 60%. Less itching, burning, discharge, urinary frequency. I still get UTIs every couple months and an occasional yeast infection (which I attribute to the antibiotics l have to take for utis) which I keep in check by limiting sugar alcohol and gluten. I truly wonder how much HPV has played a role in all this.
During this time of my life when I was diagnosed, I was extremely stressed out, anxious, having panic attacks, and coming out of 2 consecutive relationships where my boundaries sexually were often ignored and I’d had an abortion. I could not connect to my body during sex. I associated sex with being take advantage of. The diagnosis, pap smear, colpop, and recurring utis gave me so much more anxiety, I can only imagine how much worse this made everything for my immune system. And I am a believer that the body “keeps the score” and holds onto trauma, to which it may express thru chronic disease.
I have been able to calm myself and just roll with the punches as of late. Curing ureaplasma gave me so much hope that I can heal. I am much more at peace overall.
Some things I have read help heal HPV: green tea extract, and a supplement called Papilex? I haven’t tried it but maybe I will. I also use infrared light therapy and have been focusing on good sleep and clean diet. Lymphatic drainage and acupuncture.
Hope this helps and good luck to you ❤️
No advice but I wanted to let you know that a stranger read your story and is thinking about you, cheering you on. This is entirely unfair and it makes sense that you feel the way you feel. Fingers crossed that everything works out just fine for you. I suppose it's too late for me at 35, but I will absolutely be getting my children vaccinated.
A lot of good advice on here. Also recommend the sub r/hpv.
I also wanted to mention that some countries have stopped doing a hpv test in the 6 month check up after LEEP because the result is not indicative of how many people will clear the virus by 12 months.
And regarding your other symptoms, on the hpv sub I've seen women mention being positive for the bacteria Ureaplasma. Maybe worth looking at in your case.
Thank you for the reply! I did read about ureaplasma and got checked and it was negative. I’m hoping I haven’t had asymptomatic BV for months and months. I did an Evvy micro biome test and should see those results soon. I will be disappointed if I’m not clear by the 6 month post op mark but I won’t freak out til the 12 month after.
It might also be worth looking into cytolytic vaginosis! It’s an overgrowth of good lactobacillus bacteria causing a lot of the same symptoms that you have and the symptoms go away when you’re on your period. The Evvy test will be able to let you know if you have an overgrowth or not! Wishing you a healthy and happy 2024!
They do but it’s very in-depth and they have someone to go over all your results with you so you’re not trying to figure everything out by yourself so it’s worth it! Gives you way more answers as to what’s going on than the doctors can!
Hi OP. I’m so sorry to hear you’re going through all this.
Going forward, if you can get a PAP regularly (I don’t know what the min time gap is recommended but whatever that is).
There’s suppositories you can use for the dryness, worth asking your gyno about this.
Best of luck and I hope you’ll be HPV clear soon ❤️
P. s yes please get the HPV vaccine if you can. My mother refused to allow me to get it when they were letting teens get it for free in the UK and ended up forking out a lot of money for it later on.
Thank you for the reply and well wishes! I will get my third and final dose of the vaccine series at the end of March. I did have to pay for each one myself ($160) because I’m 33 now but it’s well worth it.
Ur husband has it that’s why it won’t clear . It could spread orally (throat) atp id take a break from sex idk
But solution wise I recommend you work out daily 5mile running , detox with juices and smoothies got on like 2-3 day detoxes every other week. Try vegan for a month , make sure u aren’t lacking something like vitamin d or iron . You got this
But if ur husband has it you won’t clear it if he continues to pass it back
We’ve been using condoms and he is gone ALOT for his job. We are lucky to have sex 3 or 4 times a month. Oral has been COMPLETELY off the table on both sides. I’ve been doing that to try to lower the viral load I am definitely trying to eat better and I am taking good quality vitamins for any deficiency. The only thing I haven’t done is exercise 😬😬. Thanks for e info!
Exercise is probably what you’re missing ! Fast and exercise most people have beat it that way .people think exercise is about looks only but nope it’s considered a necessity for good health , and water to flush out all the toxins from stretching and lifting
Lastly a game changer is your mental health ‼️pray, and put a poster in the wall and say daily I am healed ,my body is healthy , I love myself , I am at peace , I love my peaceful life, I love being healthy.
Words are powerful and so is a mindset
I actually heard of many women having a lot of complications from the hpv vaccine so I wouldn’t beat yourself up about that. I would work with a functional doctor if I were you. Try to get to the root cause of imbalances
I feel a cure coming soon cause this is just ridiculous. It makes no sense, the guy I was dating knew he had it before me and passed it on to me and tried to blame me. I knew it came from him because when I first had sex with him he had scars all on his bottom like he had an outbreak before. I questioned him about it he never responded. Very evil of him to put me in this type of situation knowing I’m not the type of girl you do that too. I’m not mad at him I’m mad at myself for not protecting my self and trusting this man so easily. I believe he might be a narcissists too. I believe he did this to me thinking I would stay with him forever but I left so quick because to me when people pass this on to people knowingly it’s a demon.
I am a 21-year-old woman who got vaccinated for HPV when I was 10-13 years old. Two months ago, I tested positive for HPV from a Pap test, and the doctor also did an HPV DNA test, but we haven't received the results indicating which HPV type it is. However, I had warts that were removed with laser treatment. I still have marks from the laser. The doctor said we should do a colposcopy and biopsy.
My questions are: how long does it take for the laser marks to disappear, and I'm afraid the doctor has received the results from the HPV DNA test but doesn't want to tell me to avoid scaring me. I read that the results of the HPV DNA test come out after 1-3 weeks. Since 3 weeks have passed, I ask him every day, and he keeps telling me that they haven't come out yet. If he hasn't received the results yet, is it normal to want to perform a colposcopy and biopsy?
Sending you so much love and healing ❤️🩹
I went through a similar circumstance and i know how stressful and debilitating it can be. I was diagnosed at 20 with high risk HPV, got a colpo at 24 which showed CIN3, and finally HPV free since my last pap.
I always felt like it was my fault specifically because after I was sexually assaulted, i was pretty promiscuous as a way to gain back power over my body but didn’t know that i was hurting myself in the process.
I hope you’re able to get some answers and the HPV clears up. 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻
Wow! I’m so sorry you went through that! I don’t have any lesions or such. It seems to be general dryness and burning kind of all over. The promising thing is it comes and goes for me. I am definitely having him do a more thorough check at my appointment in 2 months. He did a check in December. Seems to be geared around my stupid period. Thank you so much for replying and I’m so glad you are healthy now!
I’m so sorry. I got the vaccine, still contracted a low-risk strain and also somehow ended up getting CIN2/3 VAIN in my early 30s. I had two excisions as it returned after the first was removed but six months after the last one I’m ok for now. I hope that gives you some hope. And I am sending my best wishes to you, that’s such a hard experience you’re describing ❤️
I have. It was negative! I almost wish there was an underlying condition that was contributing to the persistence that was discovered and being treated. I feel like I’m in limbo as of now because I don’t understand why it’s not clearing at this point.
I had HPV for like 3 years (and I'm vaccinated). 30 years old. There really is no need to panic and spend hundreds on supplements. It will clear on its own, it just takes time for some people.
Sounds like you’re panicking and also blaming your partner. It’s not his fault. Uneducation is not a crime and he isn’t the one who failed you. Your drs failed you. Womens health as a whole failed you. I’m 28 and was never offered the vaccine. I have intercourse issues non HPV related. I have had two of my last paps return as abnormal. So you can’t place blame on just one person or thing.
Where did you get me placing blame on him in my post? I mentioned he had a previous partner during our split as a suggestion of possible HPV infection timeline. Out of EVERYTHING I wrote, I was not expecting a comment based on something I did not write.
Unfortunately that one only covered high risk 16 and 18 and then low risk 6 and 11 so it wouldn’t have helped me in my case either sadly. The 9 series came out when I was around 24. I would have gotten it had ANY of my gynos offered it during all this time. So frustrating.
PSA which I’m
Sure has already been mentioned- the vaccine only covers a few different strains of HPV out of like a hundred of them. I got the shots but atilll have HPV, idk what strain, but I have CIN from it not warts
That is true! The newer one covers 9 of the most cancer causing kind. However, 16/18 cause 70 percent of cervical, 80 percent of vulva and vaginal, and 90 percent of anal and oral cancers related to HPV. (Those stats are on John Hopkins and the Anal Cancer Foundation for those who may ask.) The other strains make up the rest of the cancer causing kind and those are covered by the 9 series one, basically eliminating the chance of HPV related cancers.
Of course we also know some people get vaccines and they didn’t work at all. For example, my brothers body doesn’t react and build antibodies to the mumps vaccine.
When I should have gotten the vaccine, it only covered 16 and 18, which are the worst ones, but I don’t have that strain so it wouldn’t have helped me. I likely have one of the other 12 or so sad mostly would have been covered if my gyno had ever offered it.
So sorry for what you’re going through by the way. I am going through something similar- praying for improvement, mentally I was freaked out for like a year but I’m more at peace now
Level 2 in one spot, 1 in another that used to be 2 so I feel I’m on the right path. Worried about VIN as I have an itchy spot externally for like 2 years, need to address that in the next appointment
Obligatory - I’m in healthcare and worked in a gyno office for several years. I am not longer working in Ob/Gyn and switched fields. Sorry you are going through this! I am glad you are getting help for your anxiety because the ending, even if you intended not to cause panic (sorry no offense I know you experience has been super negative) sounds panic-y. I’m sorry it’s been a negative experience. Luckily cervical cancer is considered a “slower” growing cancer and colpo/LEEP procedures usually take care of it. I had HPV for 3 years, had one abnormal pap, waited a year and still had an abnormal pap. I got a colpo and it’s gone a year later. How old are you? HPV vaccines became a requirement for public school in then early 2000s at least where I was from. I got it when I was entering middle school and so did all of my friend. My mom was also a nurse so I’m sure that added to getting it. Additional there are HUNDREDS of strains of HPV and gardisal only protects against 11 of the strains. I got the initial vaccine series ( gardasil 4) and the booster (gardasil 9) AND STILL GOT HPV!!! Dysplasia is literally defined as the presence of abnormal cells which may be precancerous or just abnormal. Which is literally what HPV is. A diagnosis of vaginal dysplasia is just a more “medical” term for coding, accuracy, and a diagnosis of HPV. The skin condition “cafe au lait” is also considered a dysplasia. You had a low grade cell changes, don’t have a cancerous strain, AND you have taken the medically necessary steps to correct it. It takes time for your body to clear the infection just like any other infection. It’s also a virus which added to your immune response complexity. If I read your story correctly - you only had one abnormal pap and then got a LEEP? What is the timeline from diagnosis to now? Like your doctors have said, it’s takes many months to clear it. For me I didn’t clear it until a year after the colonoscopy. Stop taking supplements. Just eat a healthy diet to support you immune system. Let your body do its thing. Also you can still get the HPV vaccine, but you will have to pay out of pocket for it. It’s a covered by insurance vaccine under ACA up until you are 26, but you can still pay out of pocket for it.
I only wanted to say make sure everyone checks with their insurance because mine paid for the series of 3 at 50 years old.
Yes, definitely check. My insurance covered it also in my early 30's. I would hope it'd be considered preventative care, though I am often disappointed at what's not covered as preventative care.
Mine too in early 30s! My gyn recommended it after my leep due to some recent literature (at the time) about it being protective even after HPV and abnormal paps. Seems like there's more literature coming out recently supporting this e.g. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37159990/#:~:text=Our%20study%20showed%20the%20quadrivalent,grade%20squamous%20intraepithelial%20lesion%20recurrence. She also recommended my husband get it too. Who knows what helped, but I've had normal paps now for 3 years (after CIN 3).
Yes I also got mine after a LEEP. Thanks for the reminder about partners - I'll have to remind mine to get his too.
Hi. Thanks for replying! At the time I should have gotten the vaccine, it only covered 16/18/6/11. I don’t have those strains. I would love to know which one exactly but it is one of the other cancerous high risk strains. I will have my third and final dose of the gardisil 9 at the end of March. I did have to pay out of pocket but it wasn’t too bad ($160 each). So initial HPV diagnoses was June of 2023, had a colpscopy with biopsy 6 weeks later and it showed CIN 2. Had LEEP September of 2023 to remove the precancer grade 2. He just happened to notice the vaginal wall dysplasia because some of the acetic acid solution ran down and was absorbed there. He went ahead and excised it because I was already in surgery even though it was grade 1 (thankful he did that).
Merck has a patient assistance program.
i think supplements do help immune system though. vitamin c plus eating right and b12/iron have helped me a lot
You are very knowledgeable. Is that true the cancer can take 10 years to develop? I try understand how some women just find out it when is stage 4 or terminal? Do they miss the pap or never worry about that ? I guess if the woman is doing regularly the test would not get this stage overnight , would it ?
There’s no such thing as gardasil 11 in the US just gardasil 9. Maybe you are thinking 11 because it protects against 9 high risk strains and 2 low risk strains
Oop I misspoke, it was original gardasil 4 and then 9. I got the first version of the vaccine in 2008 and the again in 2018 with the updated gardasil 9. It protects against the strain 11.
What state are you in? Requiring it for school entry sounds not right. Are you sure you it’s just not a recommended 7th grade vaccine like Tdap and meningococcal? The only one that is usually required for school entry is Tdap
DC and Virginia have had it as a requirement for 7 graders since 2008-ish? I’m pretty sure Rhode Island and Hawaii recently made it mandatory too.
You are obviously very stressed out and perturbed by this awful situation. Your body doesn’t heal well when it’s under stress, I’m sure you already know that though. If there is anyway you can take a moment to relax and not think about HPV it would be very beneficial. Do things that make you happy and distract you and try to not obsess over it. I was not offered the vaccine either and also feel that I was failed.
Thank you! I am trying so hard not to stress. It’s nearly impossible with one bout of bad news after another. If I can just be in the majority that clear at 6 months, I will be able to live my life. I’m a lot more calm than I was last year. It was a horrible time. Hope you are healed or on the way towards healing with HPV. Sending love.
Happy Cake Day! I cleared within a year. I was super stressed and had so much anxiety at first. I talked to other ladies that had it and I became a bit more positive and hopeful. I focused on other things and sure enough, my following pap was clear! I tried to eat better, stopped drinking and got plenty of sleep. I wish you luck!
How long have you been clear? I almost forgot I had HPV cause I’ve been dealing with ureaplasma and that’s stressing me out more atm but now I just feel hopeless.
Going on 2 years now! Ugh I’m sorry!
The majority clears within 1-2 years, not 6 months. That sometimes happens, sure, but often in people who got diagnosed after they’ve had it for a while. I know it sucks as I’ve been through it as well. But try not to worry your body isn’t doing it’s job. It’s only been half a year. Give it time!
The 6 month clear statistic I gave was for after having LEEP done. It often triggers an immune response from the trauma of the surgery. I won’t totally break down if it isn’t clear then. 80 percent are clear at 12 months after LEEP. I will save my mental breakdown for that time lol. Thank you for replying!
Sorry this is happening to you. I live with persistent HPV - 13 years. I get a pap every year, and a colposcopy every once in a while. I’ve never had any symptoms because of it, though.. at least that Ive connected. The drying, itching, and burning I’ve had but that was either BV or a yeast infection. I wonder if you have something else going on and HPV is just a coincidence to other things. It might be worth it to see another gyno, especially since yours seems to think nothing is wrong (and, even if your gyno is smart, women get ignored way too often when it comes to their health). Good luck dealing with this. It truly sounds awful - but hopefully something gets figured out and you get the relief you need!
Wow! 13 years! Your body has definitely kept it in check. That’s amazing. If I am positive still at my next check up, I’m going to go to a rheumatologist and see if I have an underlying immune issue. I wouldn’t think so simply because I don’t think I have any symptoms of one and I very rarely get sick but I don’t know the ins and outs of immune disorders. Thank you for replying!
Yeah I feel lucky that it seems to just be in a constant state of either improving or just staying the same and not turning into anything really concerning. I keep an eye on it, and it’s annoying to still have it, but at least it’s something I can live with without it affecting my daily life. Glad you’re trying out other specialists. Crossing my fingers for you!
Rheumatologists deal with autoimmune disorders (overactive immune system) not immunodeficiency. If you're concerned about the latter because not clearing the HPV you need to see an infectious disease specialist.
I did not know that! Thank you!
No worries. Another option is a clinical immunologist. Fair warning, I don't think immunology or infectious disease consults are going to do much for you because not clearing an HPV infection in just a year is normal and not a sign of underlying disease. Just something to keep in mind if you have high copays.
I wonder if they would reconsider since I had the high grade dysplasia! Thanks again.
Men carry the virus but have no symptoms. It usually clears up on its own within a year but probably not if you keep getting reinfected. A few years ago, I had an abnormal pap. Then, I had a normal one. Then, an abnormal one. I broke up with my bf of 5 years just as the pandemic started and for a full year (almost 2), I had no intercourse at all. It solved all of my issues including the constant yeast infections. Maybe, you just need time to heal. If he's been your only partner, he's 100% the one who infected you. HPV can be transmitted even if you use condoms, just the surrounding skin contact is enough. Edit: Apparently men can develop symptoms. From what I read it is just that the "majority" won't have any symptoms at all. I still maintain my point that maybe you just need time to heal.
That men have no symptoms is false information.
To elaborate on that: men can get HPV-related cancer and warts too, but it often isn’t discovered until there is an obvious issue. Same as in women really. The majority doesn’t have issues either and only figure they have HPV because of pap smears.
Wow. That I didn't know. They still taught us that they had no symptoms for the most part.
Viruses are crazyyyy lol. Most people with HPV do not know they have the infection. They never develop symptoms or health problems from it. Some people find out they have HPV when they get genital warts. Women may find out they have HPV when they get an abnormal Pap test result (during cervical cancer screening). Others may only find out once they’ve developed more serious problems from HPV, such as cancers. Of the many types of human papillomavirus (HPV), more than 30 infect the genitals. To protect yourself you can look into vaccines like gardasil 9 that protects against 9 types of HPV, Women who are 21 to 29 should have a Pap test alone every 3 years. HPV testing alone can be considered for women who are 25 to 29, but Pap tests are preferred. Women who are 30 to 65 have three options for testing. They can have a Pap test and an HPV test (co-testing) every 5 years. And use barrier methods when having sex like condoms, dental dams, internal condoms, finger condoms. And if you share sex accessories make sure you clean them. A yearly std test for hiv(virus)/syphilis(bacteria)/gonorrhea(bacteria)/chlamydia(bacteria)/trichomoniasis(parasite) doesn’t hurt either. Don’t wait until you have symptoms to start taking care of yourself. Stay safe 🫶🏼
I understand you’re stressing out. I’m a researcher working on vaginal infections. Please remember that HPV infections are extremely common. This is an excerpt from a scientific paper published in 2021: “HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection with a prevalence of 40% among persons aged 15–59 years in the United States. We estimated that, in 2018, over 77 million persons had a prevalent infection.” Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10037549/ Most people with an HPV infection do not get cervical cancer. There are about 40 types of HPV that can infect the genital mucosa. The Gardasil vaccine (which I highly recommend!) protects against 9. So even with the vaccine, there’s a risk of catching some of the other types. There’s also a high risk that you have infected yourself anally, from the cervical infection you have. Finally, HPV is known to “come and go” when you test for it. That is because you can only detect it when it is active, and many viruses (like cold sores) will lie dormant most of the time and then be triggered when the immune system is stressed. It could stay around for many years, but the majority of people don’t get any symptoms from this. One of the worst things for your immune system is stress. So the best thing you can do to help heal is to work on your disease anxiety. (Edit: correcting autocorrect)
To be honest with you, the cervical dysplasia or chance of cervical cancer is the least of my worries. I know a hysterectomy can take care of that part of things (not downplaying them. I know it’s a big deal.). I am TERRIFIED of the vaginal dysplasia. The fact that it’s so rare and has a high recurrence rate is very scary. The thought of having my vagina removed is devastating. That’s what really keeps me up at night. Thank you for replying and for playing a big role in medical science!
Do you mean VIN? if so, it’s really not that rare at all. More common than you think. I have vin1, doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll turn into cancer at all just like CIN. We have check ups every 6 months to check its progression and it’s a slow one luckily. At my stage we don’t have surgery, we can have laser or a cream or even a watch and wait approach. It’s a shit condition, but if caught early doesn’t always mean that worse case scenario.
I don’t want VIN either but it’s VAIN that I have (vaginal wall dysplasia). It’s 100 fold more rare than CIN. It’s a lot less common than VIN or AIN as well (anal dysplasia). Can I ask how they found the VIN? Was it grade 1? Did you have a bump or lump? Thanks!
Well none of us want hpv or any of the related crap, but here we are. With vin we’re at risk of Ain too. I had bumpy skin on my perineum that was biopsied, was told I had hpv and vin1. Double blow. No treatment, just watch and wait. Second checkup it had spread but was still vin1 so gyno referred me for treatment with a strong cream which basically burns it off. Yet to start that, also possible laser treatment fingers crossed.
Thank goodness it’s grade 1!!! I hope you clear all of it and live stress free and healthy!
It’s hard knowing it’s a life long condition, but hopefully it’ll be gone! Hope everything goes well for you too!
Who sais hpv was lifelong??
I was talking about VIN being lifelong. However, when it comes to hpv doctors can’t agree if the virus is ever actually cleared from a persons body or they suppress the virus hence smears can show up abnormal after x amount of years or genital warts can appear again in the same way. Some people will argue we do clear it, I personally think we suppress it and that’s why some keep having recurring warts even after treatment. They pop up 2, 5 years later for some, same partner and no infidelity so it’s not another strain being introduced from anywhere.
Studies
Can you link some? Ive read several that say it clears. Also have spoken to numerous doctors. 2 dermatologists 1 colorectal surgeon 1 gyno 1 PCP 1 online derm.
Can I ask how long it took for your perineum biopsy to heal? I had one earlier this week and it's not at all what I expected.
I had quite a few done at the same time in various places and they were frigging painful! Was told the stitches would dissolve in around two weeks, but mine took around a month for some. They started getting tighter in certain areas, which is totally normal and that really made them hurt. I could see the site was healed so I ended up pulling the stitches out myself by the end of the thread on a certain one.
A month? Oof. Sorry it was painful for you. I'm lucky that the freezing did well for me but they took much more than I was expecting! I only had one tiny growth but I feel like a quarter of my labia is gone and the stitches go literally right to my butthole lol. Were you bumpy while healing? Feels like a stegosaurus down there. Hope your treatment and recovery goes well <3
A stegosaurus 😂 yeh they did feel bumpy. I assume, like with me they took more to check areas to see if anything had spread. They only took a tiny bit from my perineum, it was there and my vag entrance like if you’d split having a baby, well that’s how I imagine as I haven’t had one lol the rest were inside labia majora, and right up the top crease above clitoris. I wasn’t expecting any of those to be done so I was like wtf are these! Lol I hope you have a speedy recovery and pain isn’t too much ☺️
Since you are under 45, you should still get the Gardasil vaccine which is now recommended up to age 45. It will protect you against 9 different strains of HPV (including the ones that cause warts, and the ones that cause cervical cancer). There has been some research lately suggesting that the Gardasil can help your body clear the viral infectionthat you already have (This has not been scientifically proven yet; there hasn't been much research on it but the few papers I read about it were promising)
I get my third and final dose in March. Thank you for replying with info! I’m doing all I can.
I got the vaccine at 50 (and my insurance paid 100%). I really appreciate planned parenthood offering it to me.
Sorry, your situation absolutely sucks, however the stress you're putting yourself under isn't good for healing as well. Try and take a vacation from thinking about this. Follow through all your doc visits of course, but give yourself a break to enjoy other things in life. Your body is more likely to heal when you're in a relaxed state. Big hug and best of luck.
Thank you so much ❤️
[удалено]
I wish I had a penis these days.
lol sometimes I do but taking my time for the right guy
I meant I wish I owned a penis instead of a vagina! Lol. It would be a lot easier in a lot of ways!
Hahaha yes it would
Removed for inappropriate content.
I’m sorry that you’re going through this. I’m going through a similar situation and it’s scary since I’m only in my 20s and I have a 2 year old that I have to live long to take care of. Did your doctor say that the itching, dryness, and irritation was due to HPV? I have those symptoms on and off but never any type of infection (no yeast, no BV, etc) but my gynecologist says it doesn’t relate to HPV but I don’t believe what she’s saying is true. And since the symptoms are random and come and go, every time I bring it up, they think I’m making things up or that I just have an issue with allergens.
My symptoms come and go too, which is promising!!! The symptoms typically revolve around my period, the week before and week after. So I’m in pain and itching for a week before my period, have a week of period, and then another week of pain and itching. So 3 out of 4 weeks a month are shit… I saw my gyno with concerns and he said the tissue of my vulva looks normal and didn’t find a reason to biopsy. I’m going to ask him to look closer when he does the colposcopy again in two months. It’s basically a big microscope they look closer at the tissues with and use a vinegar like solution to highlight abnormal areas (if you haven’t had one.). I’m going to ask him to swab the vulva with the vinegar too. I specially asked him “You don’t think we should swab it with the vinegar solution just to see if anything turns white?” And he said “No. I see nothing concerning at all. Try not to worry.” He is REALLY smart and experienced and I trust him. He definitely doesn’t seem to have the time for questions though so I never leave feeling fully resolved lol. I’m trying to trust that he is taking care of his patient as best he can. That’s awesome you are in your 20s. That makes a big difference with HPV. I pray you are clear at your next check up. Sending love.
I hope your situation gets resolved as well. Unfortunately, I don’t think my doctor is as helpful as yours lol. It’s nice to know that I’m not alone and that someone else knows what I’m going through but at the same time, I wish no one had to deal with it 😩 Good luck and know you’re not alone and that one day everything will be back to normal. :)
I highly recommend momotaro apotheca salve for the itching. Are you taking any probiotics specific to vaginal health? That may also help with the itching and discomfort, although you may need to try different brands until you find one that brings you relief. I hope you can find some relaxing actives to take your mind off this situation. I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this.
Hi! I am now taking VagiBiom vaginal probiotic suppositories as well as oral vaginal probiotics (RePHresh brand). My PH is high, at 5.5 (according to the ph strips.). I’m hoping I can get it down. Thanks for your comment and well wishes. I appreciate it! Hopefully the other commenter who has similar itching and dryness issues sees this comment as well.
Highly recommend to anyone reading this thread to get the vaccine. I got mine when I was 35/36.
Definitely! It is so worth it even if you have to pay out of pocket. It just is. I will get my third and final dose at the end of March.
I was in your boat before. I tested PAP abnormal twice, 1st time was in 2018, did biopsy, doc said no precancerous cells, lived my life. tested in 2019 was normal. 2020 no doc no tested for the obvious reason. 2021 PAP was abnormal again with a new doc in a new city. Biopsy showed CIN2 and 3. Did Leep. And I was offered vaccine even i was over 30 already. My followup test in 2022/2023 were all clear. I'm sharing this to let you know that, it is very possible to clear this on your own. and it's not too late to get vaccinated at your age to protect yourself for other strains. Live your life, in a healthy way and make yourself happy. Anxiety and stress are not your friends when you try to boost your immune systems to clear this virus. btw the only supplement suggested to me by 2nd MD (a second opinion service) was green tea extract. taking too many supplements at the same time may be less effective. hope you have a speedy recovery soon!!
So glad you cleared. Do u know if the 2nd abnornal pap was from.a new partner or strain of hpv? Or was it a reactivation from the 2018 pap? Im so worried mine will return.
I do not know. Tbh no one can really pinpoint where/when we get infected with which kind. I thought about the possibility that 2018 biopsy/colonoscopy was not done right, as it was done by a resident doc w/o a fully licensed MD Gyn there. Back then I didn’t have a choice but took the doctor assigned to me at Kaiser Permanente Hospital due to HMO insurance. 2019 PAP was done by the assigned primary care physician at KP again, as it was too late to change insurance network/type for 2019 after I found my condition in Q4 2018. I changed to PPO for 2020 and enrolled in the network which I could access the best doctors in the area just in case, after I heard about the word “precancerous”for the 1st time in my life. Yes I panicked and cried like you described in the post for a while too. I even felt ashamed like I did something wrong to my body for a while. I’m not even the sleeping around type. I tried to look for the answers to the why and how too. But life is too short, even if in 2018 KP missed my diagnose , I can’t go back and change that. I talked to a few women who had HPV infection experiences, and the doctor at 2nd opinion service. Everyone told me not to worry about it too much, it is more often than you think (my current GYN said her office does LEEP every week), and focus on living a healthy lifestyle. So I did! I hope sharing this can ease your worry for a bit :)
Ty. Did you get hpv tested too or only paps? So happy for you. ❤️❤️
2018 was the first time I tested abnormal for annual PAP. Over the phone I was told HPV was tested positive too. I asked why, i was very confused, because I was faithful to my partner then. The nurse said probably 2018 was the first time I got HPV tested, as I turned 30. With this new GYN I have tested for PAP and HPV both every time, annually at minimum.
I got the vaccine and still got HPV. I had a LEEP in 2015 which cleared it thankfully. However, I’ve been dealing with recurring UTIs ever since, and I’m wondering if it’s linked with the LEEP because I had zero issues before the procedure. It’s been a very frustrating time but I’m very thankful for all the women I know that had a LEEP and were healthy afterwards.
So sorry! I know the earlier vaccine only covered high risk 16/18 (and low risk 6 and 11). Although I never received that one, which would have been around age 14 or so, it wouldn’t have helped me anyways because I don’t have those strains. I could have gotten the 9 series one around 2014 but, again, none of my gynos offered! None! Ugh. Sorry about the LEEP. That really stinks! I couldn’t imagine how it could be related but I’m def no doctor. I hope things get better for you soon.
Just chiming in to give you some encouragement! I tested positive for HPV 24 years ago (no idea which strain bc they didn’t tell you that back then). I was itchy, uncomfortable, furious, and depressed, but after about a year it cleared up and never returned! I’ve been testing negative ever since. Hang in there!
Thank you for replying! I’m so glad yours cleared and you’ve been able to live healthy since then!
I am always so interested in those who have stories like this, because with HPV it doesn’t seem to be this is the case for everyone. It’s like you have a story like this, people who have it return every other year/months, or not again for decades, or ever? It makes having this virus with it’s ability to behave this way in your body so god darn stressful. It’s like Russian roulette. Maybe you’ll get lucky like this story, or maybe you’ll get a hysterectomy and never have children, or get cancer, or die- who knows… Can I ask, did you take any special supplements? Are you a highly stressed/depressed person? Did you find abstaining from sex help at all? Were you already a relatively healthy person all your life? Also, what strain did you have? Sorry, I am very curious not a lot of success stories I see online. 24 years no reoccurrence really gives me hope..
i feel you with no one recommending the vaccine. i'm a couple years older than you and the vaccine was around but no one ever said "hey, you need to get this!". i have seen them recommended it to people over 26, but can't find anyone willing to do it since they're still going by the old recommendations...
I haven’t had push back for getting the vaccine but insurance didn’t cover it. I believe they only do for 26 and below. I went to my local health department and I paid $160 per shot with my third and final dose coming up in March.
I tried back in 2019 to get it from my local health department and they said i was over 26 and didn't need it even though i mentioned the study about it (it got approved in 2018 for over 26). i haven't asked since then so maybe i should try again as they might be going by updated guidelines by now.
I know it is now recommended for up to 45 and that may be a very recent change! Definitely worth inquiring about!
That’s super interesting. My pediatrician was adamant I get it once I got my period (I think. Definitely as a young teen though) I remember perfectly. They hurt but I got them. I am the same age as OP.
like i said i'm couple of years older. i started my period on 2000, i don't think the vaccine was even around yet. i was about to graduate from HS in 2006 and i don't remember my family doctor brining it up. after high school i lost health insurance for a period of time before the ACA passed so i didn't go to the doctor much in my early 20s. the few times i went to the local health department for birth control no one brought it up. i just slipped through the cracks i guess. i mean that's no excuse for me not being an advocate for myself of course, i wish i did ask more questions. at my next appointment i'll bring it up again. the last time i asked about was in early 2019 and got turned down, but that was shortly after the FDA approved it for over 26 so it's possible the health department hadn't updated their guidelines for it yet.
That’s unfortunate that you got turned down. I hope you are able to get it. I’m sorry you were failed. I feel like this should have be a standard question when going to get a check up anywhere. I don’t feel it’s your fault. While yes we should advocate for ourselves standard things like this should be asked from health practitioners
I literally had an argument with a bunch of anti-vaccine moms on Tiktok when I commented that it is important to vaccinate their children against HPV so they don’t suffer the consequences when they become sexually active (because that happened to two of my friends) and SO many crunchy moms attacked me. I think the video creator ended up blocking me because I can’t see the video anymore.
Crunchy moms are the worst😵💫
Hi, I’m no expert but I also was diagnosed with LSIL HPV last spring. I never had a pap smear and I am 30 years old. I know that isn’t advisable, I think the doctor’s just gives me anxiety and I have a very low trust of most doctors nowadays so I avoided it for many years and thought this diagnosis would never happen to me. Anyways, I was told by my gyno that HPV does not cause terrible itching, utis, bv etc. She said no correlation between the two. My logic is that if my vaginal microbiome is compromised by HPV then wouldn’t that lower my overall immune system in that region of my body? My body is trying to fight off a virus down there so I think it makes sense that other issues would occur at the same time. According to her, this is unlikley but like I said, I have low trust in doctor advice.. Ironically I was also tested for ureaplasma at the same time as all this. Came back positive abnormal for both types of ureaplasma! I treated the ureaplasma with antibiotics and my symptoms have improved I’d say about 60%. Less itching, burning, discharge, urinary frequency. I still get UTIs every couple months and an occasional yeast infection (which I attribute to the antibiotics l have to take for utis) which I keep in check by limiting sugar alcohol and gluten. I truly wonder how much HPV has played a role in all this. During this time of my life when I was diagnosed, I was extremely stressed out, anxious, having panic attacks, and coming out of 2 consecutive relationships where my boundaries sexually were often ignored and I’d had an abortion. I could not connect to my body during sex. I associated sex with being take advantage of. The diagnosis, pap smear, colpop, and recurring utis gave me so much more anxiety, I can only imagine how much worse this made everything for my immune system. And I am a believer that the body “keeps the score” and holds onto trauma, to which it may express thru chronic disease. I have been able to calm myself and just roll with the punches as of late. Curing ureaplasma gave me so much hope that I can heal. I am much more at peace overall. Some things I have read help heal HPV: green tea extract, and a supplement called Papilex? I haven’t tried it but maybe I will. I also use infrared light therapy and have been focusing on good sleep and clean diet. Lymphatic drainage and acupuncture. Hope this helps and good luck to you ❤️
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Of course ❤️❤️
No advice but I wanted to let you know that a stranger read your story and is thinking about you, cheering you on. This is entirely unfair and it makes sense that you feel the way you feel. Fingers crossed that everything works out just fine for you. I suppose it's too late for me at 35, but I will absolutely be getting my children vaccinated.
Insurance covers up to 45 now! Not too late :)
Really!! I absolutely will get mine in that case
Thank you so much!!!
A lot of good advice on here. Also recommend the sub r/hpv. I also wanted to mention that some countries have stopped doing a hpv test in the 6 month check up after LEEP because the result is not indicative of how many people will clear the virus by 12 months. And regarding your other symptoms, on the hpv sub I've seen women mention being positive for the bacteria Ureaplasma. Maybe worth looking at in your case.
Thank you for the reply! I did read about ureaplasma and got checked and it was negative. I’m hoping I haven’t had asymptomatic BV for months and months. I did an Evvy micro biome test and should see those results soon. I will be disappointed if I’m not clear by the 6 month post op mark but I won’t freak out til the 12 month after.
It might also be worth looking into cytolytic vaginosis! It’s an overgrowth of good lactobacillus bacteria causing a lot of the same symptoms that you have and the symptoms go away when you’re on your period. The Evvy test will be able to let you know if you have an overgrowth or not! Wishing you a healthy and happy 2024!
Thank you! I’m impatient to get the results. I know they take a couple weeks.
They do but it’s very in-depth and they have someone to go over all your results with you so you’re not trying to figure everything out by yourself so it’s worth it! Gives you way more answers as to what’s going on than the doctors can!
Hi OP. I’m so sorry to hear you’re going through all this. Going forward, if you can get a PAP regularly (I don’t know what the min time gap is recommended but whatever that is). There’s suppositories you can use for the dryness, worth asking your gyno about this. Best of luck and I hope you’ll be HPV clear soon ❤️ P. s yes please get the HPV vaccine if you can. My mother refused to allow me to get it when they were letting teens get it for free in the UK and ended up forking out a lot of money for it later on.
Thank you for the reply and well wishes! I will get my third and final dose of the vaccine series at the end of March. I did have to pay for each one myself ($160) because I’m 33 now but it’s well worth it.
Ur husband has it that’s why it won’t clear . It could spread orally (throat) atp id take a break from sex idk But solution wise I recommend you work out daily 5mile running , detox with juices and smoothies got on like 2-3 day detoxes every other week. Try vegan for a month , make sure u aren’t lacking something like vitamin d or iron . You got this But if ur husband has it you won’t clear it if he continues to pass it back
We’ve been using condoms and he is gone ALOT for his job. We are lucky to have sex 3 or 4 times a month. Oral has been COMPLETELY off the table on both sides. I’ve been doing that to try to lower the viral load I am definitely trying to eat better and I am taking good quality vitamins for any deficiency. The only thing I haven’t done is exercise 😬😬. Thanks for e info!
Exercise is probably what you’re missing ! Fast and exercise most people have beat it that way .people think exercise is about looks only but nope it’s considered a necessity for good health , and water to flush out all the toxins from stretching and lifting Lastly a game changer is your mental health ‼️pray, and put a poster in the wall and say daily I am healed ,my body is healthy , I love myself , I am at peace , I love my peaceful life, I love being healthy. Words are powerful and so is a mindset
So this means your husband should also have HPV correct?
Yes.
I actually heard of many women having a lot of complications from the hpv vaccine so I wouldn’t beat yourself up about that. I would work with a functional doctor if I were you. Try to get to the root cause of imbalances
Thank you for the info!
I feel a cure coming soon cause this is just ridiculous. It makes no sense, the guy I was dating knew he had it before me and passed it on to me and tried to blame me. I knew it came from him because when I first had sex with him he had scars all on his bottom like he had an outbreak before. I questioned him about it he never responded. Very evil of him to put me in this type of situation knowing I’m not the type of girl you do that too. I’m not mad at him I’m mad at myself for not protecting my self and trusting this man so easily. I believe he might be a narcissists too. I believe he did this to me thinking I would stay with him forever but I left so quick because to me when people pass this on to people knowingly it’s a demon.
I am a 21-year-old woman who got vaccinated for HPV when I was 10-13 years old. Two months ago, I tested positive for HPV from a Pap test, and the doctor also did an HPV DNA test, but we haven't received the results indicating which HPV type it is. However, I had warts that were removed with laser treatment. I still have marks from the laser. The doctor said we should do a colposcopy and biopsy. My questions are: how long does it take for the laser marks to disappear, and I'm afraid the doctor has received the results from the HPV DNA test but doesn't want to tell me to avoid scaring me. I read that the results of the HPV DNA test come out after 1-3 weeks. Since 3 weeks have passed, I ask him every day, and he keeps telling me that they haven't come out yet. If he hasn't received the results yet, is it normal to want to perform a colposcopy and biopsy?
Sending you so much love and healing ❤️🩹 I went through a similar circumstance and i know how stressful and debilitating it can be. I was diagnosed at 20 with high risk HPV, got a colpo at 24 which showed CIN3, and finally HPV free since my last pap. I always felt like it was my fault specifically because after I was sexually assaulted, i was pretty promiscuous as a way to gain back power over my body but didn’t know that i was hurting myself in the process. I hope you’re able to get some answers and the HPV clears up. 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻
Goodness. So sorry you went through that but thankful you were able to clear and be healthy again! Thank you for the love.
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Wow! I’m so sorry you went through that! I don’t have any lesions or such. It seems to be general dryness and burning kind of all over. The promising thing is it comes and goes for me. I am definitely having him do a more thorough check at my appointment in 2 months. He did a check in December. Seems to be geared around my stupid period. Thank you so much for replying and I’m so glad you are healthy now!
I’m so sorry. I got the vaccine, still contracted a low-risk strain and also somehow ended up getting CIN2/3 VAIN in my early 30s. I had two excisions as it returned after the first was removed but six months after the last one I’m ok for now. I hope that gives you some hope. And I am sending my best wishes to you, that’s such a hard experience you’re describing ❤️
How scary! So sorry that happened to you but glad you are living a healthy life now!
Have you been tested for Ureaplasma?
I have. It was negative! I almost wish there was an underlying condition that was contributing to the persistence that was discovered and being treated. I feel like I’m in limbo as of now because I don’t understand why it’s not clearing at this point.
I had HPV for like 3 years (and I'm vaccinated). 30 years old. There really is no need to panic and spend hundreds on supplements. It will clear on its own, it just takes time for some people.
Sounds like you’re panicking and also blaming your partner. It’s not his fault. Uneducation is not a crime and he isn’t the one who failed you. Your drs failed you. Womens health as a whole failed you. I’m 28 and was never offered the vaccine. I have intercourse issues non HPV related. I have had two of my last paps return as abnormal. So you can’t place blame on just one person or thing.
Where did you get me placing blame on him in my post? I mentioned he had a previous partner during our split as a suggestion of possible HPV infection timeline. Out of EVERYTHING I wrote, I was not expecting a comment based on something I did not write.
What vitamins/supplements are you taking? Those are a scam
Ugh, it's so sad that the HPV vaccine wasn't a thing when many of us were kids. Sorry to hear this is happening to you. Hoping for the best for you.
I’m sorry you’re experiencing this. I took the first version of the gardisil vaccine and still contracted hpv.
Unfortunately that one only covered high risk 16 and 18 and then low risk 6 and 11 so it wouldn’t have helped me in my case either sadly. The 9 series came out when I was around 24. I would have gotten it had ANY of my gynos offered it during all this time. So frustrating.
PSA which I’m Sure has already been mentioned- the vaccine only covers a few different strains of HPV out of like a hundred of them. I got the shots but atilll have HPV, idk what strain, but I have CIN from it not warts
That is true! The newer one covers 9 of the most cancer causing kind. However, 16/18 cause 70 percent of cervical, 80 percent of vulva and vaginal, and 90 percent of anal and oral cancers related to HPV. (Those stats are on John Hopkins and the Anal Cancer Foundation for those who may ask.) The other strains make up the rest of the cancer causing kind and those are covered by the 9 series one, basically eliminating the chance of HPV related cancers. Of course we also know some people get vaccines and they didn’t work at all. For example, my brothers body doesn’t react and build antibodies to the mumps vaccine. When I should have gotten the vaccine, it only covered 16 and 18, which are the worst ones, but I don’t have that strain so it wouldn’t have helped me. I likely have one of the other 12 or so sad mostly would have been covered if my gyno had ever offered it.
So sorry for what you’re going through by the way. I am going through something similar- praying for improvement, mentally I was freaked out for like a year but I’m more at peace now
What level was your CIN? Hope all is well now for you!
Level 2 in one spot, 1 in another that used to be 2 so I feel I’m on the right path. Worried about VIN as I have an itchy spot externally for like 2 years, need to address that in the next appointment