Hello, I have a question about smaer tests.
How accurate are these tests?
I have had HPV years ago ( more than 15yrs ago), when I had post coital bleeding, I was sent to a gynaecologist who saw the HPV on a camera of some sort. I had the cold treatment to get rid of them. Since then I have had clear smears, but to be honest at the time of the bleeding all smears were clear anyway and the HPV didn't show up. My question is, if it had reoccurred, how would I ever know? I have deveoped some warts on my ankle in the past few years, and at the moment I have one thats developed on my skin thats between my bum and my vagina, but a little further out toward my leg. I am worried about going for my routine smear and have been putting it off as 1stly I don't want the practice nurse to see my wart thing, and secondly, whats the point if its not very accurate?
I know you're gonna tell me to go. By the way I'm 36 and have two kids.
Poppy
Hello, Poppy!
If you had HPV diagnosed 15 years ago, your immune system would have erradicte it by now; therefore it would have not reactivated. However you might have been re-infected with a different HPV strain. Cervical smears, if done correctly, are highly sensitive and reliable. Having had regular negative smears, that is highly reassuring. It is sometimes advisable to have a PCR vaginal swab to identify the existance and the type of the HPV. If negative, then you can be assured that you do not have HPV. The strains of HPV that cause cancer, do not generally cause warts, and vice versa. And there are hundreds of different strains. The warts from the ankle would not be related to genital warts, and the lesion you describe located between your anus and your vagina, should be checked by a doctor, as it might not be a wart and could be something else.
It is extremely improtant for women who are sexually active to have regular smears and they are very accurate.
Best wishes,
Jose
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