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[Saffy]

This is a bit of a whinge but a potentially serious issue I think  .

Have finally been for a much overdue smear test with all the fun that involves. I have no VA but do seem to 'clam' up somewhat, not helped by my incredible disappearing cervix and the need for the nurse to manipulate the speculum at an angle to find it  . This nurse decided to leave the speculum wedged in place to walk off for a minute which added to my enjoyment of the whole experience...

Anyway, prior to the smear, the nurse was explaining about the HPV test and I queried her statement that if the test was positive you would be given treatment (or possibly a colposcopy, she wasn't clear) even if no signs of cervical changes were present. She waffled a bit so I checked when I got home and the NHS site says:

You'll be invited for screening again in 1 year to make sure the HPV is gone. If you get this result 3 times in a row, you may need to go for colposcopy.

Worrying lack of knowledge (and anxiety inducing for some) I thought.

So I received my results - HPV negative - yay! But hang on, apparently if you're HPV negative they don't then go on to check the cervical cells in the standard way (as the risk of cervical cancer is very small if you are HPV negative). So I'm thinking to myself 'but can you still get cervical cancer if you are HPV negative?'. And indeed you can. So why oh why don't they do the flipping test? I mean, we go through all that palaver they may as well test the bloody lot surely? Apparently the standard smear test is much cheaper than the HPV anyway. Also, if HPV is all they're interested in, I have heard that it is possible for us to do our own HPV test which would be a far less stressful experience for many women.

This has been bugging me for a few days now and I can't decide if it's just me that thinks this is somewhat shortsighted. I'm not particularly anxious about it but, unless they investigate this further, many women will be reassured and believe that they cannot have/will not get cervical cancer.

What does everyone else think?

[CLKD]

Morning!  Amazed that the NHS is again apparently cutting corners.  I'm with you, it seems a waste of time.  Statistics again?

Thanks for the info..      Me thinks, why bother going  and that Nurse seemed clueless? or not expecting to have questions thrown her way! 

[Sparrow]

I started a thread on this back in May, when I had the new test done.  Luckily my nurse was far from clueless and also pointed me in the direction of additional information.

From what I can remember the risk is not from contracting the HPV virus but from the body not shedding it. Most people who get the virus get rid of it very quickly.  Unfortunately a small minority will not do this and it remains in the body.  It is these women who are at risk of cervical cancer.

A very small number of cancers have non HPV causes. However, this is statistical very rare.  I did look up the figures, back in May, but no longer have the link but the number was tiny.

Hope that helps.

[CLKD]

Is your thread still here, if so you may be able to copy and paste or bump it?

[Sparrow]

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,43804.msg699846.html#msg699846

Here is the link to my thread.  Not sure if the statistics link is included though but there is lots of info, out there on the web. 

[sheila99]

I suspect they are phasing out cervical screening. Daughter has recently had the hpv vac, she's too young for the screening programme but it seems she won't be screened. I wonder if they will stop screening once hpv has got down below a certain level.
There may not be many women who get it if they don't have hpv but those that do will have a far higher death rate as by the time you have symptoms it won't be easily treatable.

[Saffy]

Ah, thanks for the link to the thread Shadyglade, I must have missed it the first time around. It seems the details you were given in the leaflet were related to the 'previous' testing regime in this area, which I had last time I had a smear (even though yours was in May this year) - cervical changes would be checked and HPV only tested if cell changes noticed? The 'new' one here does the HPV and the cervical cells ONLY if the HPV is positive.

Sheila99 I have read that there have been worries expressed in the US that the introduction of the HPV test (not just the vaccination) will lead to the phasing out of cervical screening. Not sure how likely that is here for those who haven't received the vaccination. My results letter tells me that I will be called again in 5 years...

I do think this is concerning 'though, despite the statistically small risk. I would also worry about relying on the vaccination as they are not usually 100% effective for the whole population (I haven't checked the stats for the HPV one). I just think this is very shortsighted TBH.