At Nile Women’s Health Care, we understand that getting a positive human papillomavirus (HPV) test result during your routine visit can be scary. What does it mean? Do you have cancer?
Not knowing is nerve-wracking.
To ease your mind, our team in Roswell and Johns Creek, Georgia, has compiled this brief guide to give you the straight facts about HPV and what a positive test means.
Since January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, it’s a great time to educate yourself and schedule a screening. Here’s what you need to know.
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, affecting about 77 million people in the United States. Despite its prevalence, HPV doesn’t always cause symptoms and might even clear naturally from your body without you ever knowing about it.
There are over 40 types of HPV, and some high-risk strains — specifically, types 16 and 18 — are linked to the development of cervical cancer.
When you visit us at Nile Women’s Health Care for your annual well-woman exam, we usually recommend an HPV screening for women between 30 and 65 years old, either as a standalone test or alongside a Pap smear. An HPV test identifies the presence of high-risk strains linked to cervical cancer, even before we can observe any abnormal cell changes.
A positive HPV test does NOT automatically mean you have cervical cancer. Think of a positive result as a red flag — it lets us know there’s a risk factor that needs monitoring.
HPV is incredibly common, and, in many cases, a healthy immune system can clear the virus before it causes any harm. However, a positive result indicates that high-risk HPV is present, which could lead to changes in cervical cells over time if you don’t address it.
At Nile Women’s Health Care, our priority is to act early. A positive test result tells us to keep a closer eye on your cervical health through follow-up testing or additional procedures like colposcopy, where we closely examine your cervix for any signs of abnormality.
We perform the HPV test to empower you with the knowledge to safeguard your health, not to diagnose cervical cancer on the spot.
After a positive HPV test result, our team works with you to create a personalized care plan. Here’s what might happen next:
Most often, we recommend repeating the HPV test or Pap smear after 12 months to see if your body has cleared the infection naturally, since most HPV infections resolve on their own without intervention. Regular testing allows us to monitor changes in your cervical cells over time.
If follow-up tests show abnormalities in your cervical cells or indicate persistent HPV infection, we may perform additional minimally invasive diagnostic procedures, such as a colposcopy or cervical biopsy.
These procedures help us determine whether precancerous cells are present and, if needed, guide us on the next steps to prevent the disease from progressing.
If you haven’t received the HPV vaccine yet, it’s worth discussing as an additional step to protect against other high-risk HPV strains. The vaccine isn’t just for younger women — you can still benefit up to age 45, depending on your health history.
Maintaining a healthy immune system helps you manage HPV. A balanced diet, regular exercise, and not smoking are keys to keeping your cervical health in check.
A positive HPV test doesn’t mean cervical cancer — it means we’re one step ahead in taking control of your health. At Nile Women’s Health Care, our compassionate providers guide you through every step, including routine screenings, diagnostic follow-ups, or preventive care like the HPV vaccine.
If you have concerns about a recent HPV test result or want to schedule your next well-woman exam, call Nile Women’s Health Care to book an in-person or telehealth appointment.
