Can you have different strains of HPV?

Of the more than 150 strains of HPV, 40 affect the genital area, but most don't pose a serious risk to health. A person can be infected with more than one HPV strain at a time. Strains are identified by number and fall into either of the following two categories.

What happens if you have multiple strains of HPV?

According to an article published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, women infected with multiple types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) have a significantly greater risk of developing cervical cancer than those infected with just one type of HPV.

How do you know what strain of HPV you have?

An HPV DNA test can be used to help diagnose HPV infection and find out which strain of HPV you have. Certain strains of HPV put you at higher risk of developing cancer in the future. A positive or negative HPV DNA test will be used to decide on your treatment plan.

How many strains of HPV can a person have?

High-risk HPVs can cause several types of cancer. There are about 14 high-risk HPV types including HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68. Two of these, HPV16 and HPV18, are responsible for most HPV-related cancers.

Can you test positive for multiple strains of HPV?

A total of 14,181 women were positive for 2 or more HPV types (4.6% of entire sample, 19.0% of HPV positive sample).

High-risk HPV Strains

Can I have 2 types of HPV at the same time?

A person can be infected with more than one HPV strain at a time.

Is it common to have multiple types of HPV?

Multiple HPV infections were observed among 18.2% of women (1070/5871).

Does HPV 6 and 11 go away?

HPV types 6 and 11, which are linked to genital warts, tend to grow for about 6 months, then stabilize. Sometimes, visible genital warts go away without treatment. If you need treatment, your doctor can prescribe a cream that you can use at home.

Is HPV 16 or 18 worse?

HPV 16 is the most common high-risk type of HPV and usually doesn't result in any noticeable symptoms, even though it can bring about cervical changes. It causes 50 percent of cervical cancers worldwide. HPV 18 is another high-risk type of HPV.

Do high risk HPV strains go away?

High-risk HPV types

Infection with HPV is very common. In most people, the body is able to clear the infection on its own. But sometimes, the infection doesn't go away.

Does HPV testing test for all strains?

HPV tests do not test for all different types of HPV. They only test for the strains of HPV that have a high risk for causing cervical cancer; a positive result indicates that one or more of these strains were found.

Can HPV be positive and then negative?

Another possibility for a negative Pap test with a positive HPV test is that the focal area of cellular abnormality was sampled, but there were so few cells collected that the cells were not detected when screened by the computer and the cytotechnologist. This is called a false negative result.

Do I need a colposcopy if I have HPV?

If you test positive for HPV 16/18, you will need to have a colposcopy. If you test positive for HPV (but did not have genotyping performed or had genotyping and tested negative for 16/18), you will likely have a colposcopy.

Can HPV strains mutate?

When they looked at the quantity of mutations, they found that the HPV16 genomes from women with benign infections had more mutations than those from women who had precancer or cancer. Both E6 and E7 are viral oncogenes that are thought to be responsible for cancer development in HPV16-infected women.

Can you get HPV 16 twice?

In theory, once you have been infected with HPV you should be immune to that type and should not be reinfected. However, studies have shown that natural immunity to HPV is poor and you can be reinfected with the same virus type.

What if I have HPV 16 and 18?

HPV 16 and 18 are high-risk types known to significantly increase the risk of cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancer in women, as well as penile cancer in men. The strains can also cause anal cancer and throat cancers in men and women.

Can HPV 18 be cured?

There's no cure for HPV. But most cases of it will go away on their own. If you contract HPV you should still make an appointment with a doctor. They'll be able to treat your symptoms and ask you to come in for repeat testing in a year to see if the HPV infection persists.

How do I know if I have high risk HPV?

A Pap test involves checking the cells for precancerous changes. An HPV test looks for the DNA of the virus. A doctor may only order this test if a person likely has a high risk infection. The results of both a Pap test and an HPV test give the doctor a clearer impression of a person's cervical cancer risk.

Does HPV 6 and 11 always cause warts?

The warts can show up weeks or months after you've had sex with an infected partner. Low-risk HPV strains, such as HPV 6 and 11, cause about 90% of genital warts, which rarely develop into cancer.

Will removing the cervix cure HPV?

Surgically treating genital warts doesn't cure a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, however, and warts can return after surgery if the immune system does not eliminate the infection. Surgery may be used to treat moderate to severe cervical dysplasia by removing abnormal cells on the cervix.

Can HPV come back once it has cleared?

While HPV doesn't come back after clearing completely, it's difficult to know if an infection has actually been resolved or is simply dormant. Additionally, while you're unlikely to be reinfected with the exact same type of HPV, you can be infected with another strain.

How long does it take for HPV to cause abnormal cells?

HPV-related cancers often take years to develop after getting an HPV infection. Cervical cancer usually develops over 10 or more years. There can be a long interval between being infected with HPV, the development of abnormal cells on the cervix and the development of cervical cancer.

What does it mean if your Pap is normal but HPV is positive?

A positive test result means that you have a type of high-risk HPV that's linked to cervical cancer. It doesn't mean that you have cervical cancer now, but it's a warning sign that cervical cancer could develop in the future.

Will I always test positive for HPV?

People often never know they have caught it or passed it on. “HPV could've been there for years before it shows up, if it ever does,” says Ramondetta. When talking to your partner about your diagnosis, remember 80% of people will have HPV at some point in their life.

What happens if you have HPV for 3 years?

If you still have HPV after 3 years, you may need to have a colposcopy. You'll be asked to have a colposcopy. Information: HPV is a common virus and most people will get it at some point.