Page 1 of 6

HPV (Human Papilloma Virus)

Patient
Information Introduction
This leaflet has been produced to answer the most commonly
asked questions about HPV (Human Papilloma Virus).
The HPV test can help doctors and nurses identify women who
are at a higher risk of developing abnormal cells and cervical
cancer and show which might need further investigations.

What does your smear test mean?

If your smear test has been reported as borderline or mild
dyskaryosis, then, an HPV test has been carried out on your
cervical sample to detect if you have High Risk HPV (HR HPV).
If your test has revealed HR HPV you will have been asked to
attend the Colposcopy Clinic for further investigations. If you
have had treatment for abnormal cells, your first smear test
after treatment is also tested for HR HPV to make sure that
your body has cleared this virus.

What is HPV?
HPV is an extremely common virus affecting the skin. There are
over 100 different types of HPV, most of which are harmless
and clear up without treatment. However, some sub-­types can
contribute to changes in the cells of the cervix. Around 40 types
of HPV affect the genital area and these are divided into High
Risk type (HR HPV) and Low Risk type (LR HPV).
About 15 types of HPV are considered high-­risk for cervical
cancer. The 2 types known to have the highest risk are HPV 16
and HPV 18, which cause about 7 out of every 10 cervical
cancers.

Reference No.
Who can get HPV?
GHPI0787_02_17 The majority of sexually active men and women will come into
Department contact with HPV at some point in their life. HPV infection is
Clinical considered to be a normal consequence of having sex. This is
Colposcopy
true whether they are heterosexual or same sex relationships.
Review due
There is no blame to attach to your current partner, any other
February 202
partner or to yourself.

www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk
Page 2 of 6

It is estimated that 1 in 3 women will develop a HPV infection

Patient within 2 years of starting to have regular sex, and about 4 in 5
Information women will develop the infection at some point in their lives.
These types of HPV infection do not have any symptoms, so
many women will not realise they have the infection.
However, it's important to be aware that these infections are
relatively common and most women who have them don't
develop cervical cancer.
HPV is passed on by skin to skin contact (genital to genital,
anal intercourse and oral sex). The time from exposure of the
virus to the development of warts or cervical changes is highly
variable. Therefore it is not possible to identify from who the
virus was contracted, as it can remain dormant in some people
for many years. Having HPV is not an indication of having
multiple partners or being in an unfaithful relationship.
Some types of HPV do not cause any noticeable symptoms and
the infection will pass without treatment. Other types of HPV
can cause genital warts, although these types are not linked to
an increased risk of causing cervical cancer.
There are no symptoms associated with HPV infections that
cause pre­cancerous abnormalities on the cervix in women or
on the man’s penis. However it is possible for genital HPV to be
passed on via skin contact throughout a person’s lifetime,
although this may never cause a visible problem. These
different types of non-­cancerous strains of HPV can appear on
the hands and feet (verrucas and warts). The virus can also
affect the penis, scrotum, anus and rectum causing genital
warts.
In most women, their body’s own immune system will get rid of
the infection without them ever knowing it was there. The
infection is often cleared within 2 years and it is only when it
becomes persistent (which occurs in a small number of women)
that cervical abnormalities can develop. The presence of HR
HPV can now be detected in women who attend for cervical
smear tests.
It is not clear why persistent HPV infection causes more
problems in some women than in others. The fact that HPV
infection is very common but cervical cancer is relatively
uncommon suggests that only a very small proportion of
women are vulnerable to the effects of an HPV infection.

www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk
Page 3 of 6

There appear to be additional risk factors that affect a woman's

Patient chance of developing cervical cancer these include smoking,
Information having a weak immune system, first intercourse at an early age,
having multiple partners or having intercourse with a partner
who has had multiple partners.

How do I know if I have HPV?

Anybody who has ever been sexually active is at risk of
contracting HPV. HPV infections are very common and the
majority of individuals will have no obvious signs or symptoms.
Most women with abnormal smears will have active HPV
infection and do not have any symptoms. From April 2012, HR
HPV testing has been introduced. If your smear test has been
reported as showing low grade abnormalities either borderline
or mild dyskaryosis, then this test is carried out using the same
sample of cells collected during a cervical smear test.
If your smear test shows a low grade abnormality or you have
previously had treatment, testing positive for HPV does not
always mean that you will go on to develop cervical cancer. It
does however show that you are at a greater risk than a woman
who tests negative for HPV. If you contract a HR HPV and this
becomes a persistent infection then you have a higher risk of
developing abnormal cells. Remember, attending cervical
screening provides a high degree of protection against cervical
cancer.

How can I reduce the risks of having HPV

infection?
Stop smoking
Women who smoke are around twice as likely to develop
cervical abnormalities as non-­smokers and they are less able
to get rid of the HPV infection from the body, which can develop
into cancer. This is because smoking suppresses the immune
system, allowing the persistence of HPV infection. Stopping
smoking appears to help the abnormalities return to normal. If
you are considering stopping smoking, the clinic staff can refer
you to the smoking cessation service. Please ask for details.

www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk
Page 4 of 6

Immune system
Patient Leading a healthy lifestyle helps your body’s natural defence
Information stay strong against disease. A weakened immune system will
not be as effective at clearing the viruses which could mean
your risk of cervical abnormalities is higher than average.
Women who are immunosuppresses (such as taking
immunosuppressed drugs, following organ transplant or who
are HIV positive) may be at a greater risk of developing
abnormalities.

Safe sex and condoms

Most cases of cervical cancer are linked to an infection with
certain types of human papilloma virus (HPV). HPV can be
spread through unprotected sex, so using a condom can
reduce your risk of developing the infection.
However, the virus is not just passed on through penetrative
sex – it can be transmitted during other types of sexual contact,
such as skin­to-skin contact between genital areas and by
using sex toys.
Your risk of developing an HPV infection increases the earlier
you start having regular sex and with the more sexual partners
you have, although women who have only had one sexual
partner can also develop it.
Condoms offer a degree of protection against the transmission
of HPV infections that cause cervical smear abnormalities.
However, other types of HPV that cause genital warts can be
present all over the genitalia so this protection is considered
minimal. HPV that causes genital warts in men affects the skin
of the penis, scrotum, anus and rectum. In women, it affects the
vulva (area outside the vagina), the linings of the vagina, cervix
and rectum. However, these types of HPV do not usually cause
abnormal cervical smears as they are caused by a different sub
type of HPV.

HPV vaccination
The HPV vaccine in the UK is currently offered to all girls aged
12 to13 years of age, in Year 8 at school. The NHS cervical
cancer vaccination programme uses a vaccine called
Gardasil®. Gardasil® protects against 4 types of HPV,
including the 2 strains responsible for more than 70 out of 100
cervical cancers in the United Kingdom (HPV16 and HPV 18). It
also prevents genital warts.

www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk
Page 5 of 6

Although the HPV vaccine can greatly reduce the risk of

Patient cervical cancer, it does not guarantee that you will not develop
Information the condition.
You should still attend cervical screening tests, even if you
have had the vaccine.

Does HPV cause cancer?

Some specific HPV infections can cause changes to the cells
on the cervix creating abnormalities which can be detected by
cervical smear tests. These abnormalities, if left untreated, can
go on to become cancerous, although this will usually take
several years. Regular cervical screening is the best way to
identify abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix at an early
stage as it saves the lives of around 4,500 women per year in
the UK.
Most types of HPV that cause cervical changes are not the
ones that cause visible warts. Often the HPV infection is
cleared within 2 years and it is only when it persists in a small
number of women that this may develop into pre-­cancerous
cells called Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN). It is
important to remember that very few women with these
changes go on to have cervical cancer. It is not clear why
persistent HPV infection causes more problems in some
women than in others.

Is it normal to feel emotional or upset about

having HPV?
Women who have been told they have HPV frequently express
surprise, anxiety and uncertainty about the link to cancer and
the stigma of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s).
These feelings are often centred around how they got the virus
and the effects on their partner. Please do not hesitate to
discuss any concerns you may have with your clinic doctor,
clinic nurses or GP.

Points to remember
• HPV is very common
• HPV infection can persist in the body without causing any
problems for many years and can be destroyed by the
immune system

www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk
Page 6 of 6

• You are not alone. Up to three quarters of the population will

Patient at some point have an active HPV infection. For most people
Information it is a minor problem.
• If you have HPV the risk of cervical cancer increases if you
smoke.

Contact information
If you have further questions or concerns, please do not
hesitate to contact the Colposcopy Clinic to speak to one of the
specialist nurses on duty:
Colposcopy Clinic
Tel: 0300 422 2914
Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm

Further information
Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust
Website: www.jostrust.org.uk
NHSCSP publications
Website: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cervical-screening-
test/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Royal College of Nursing ­ HPV and cervical cancer – the facts.
Reviewed and updated Nov 2012. Publication code 003083
ISBN 1-­904114-­31-­8

Content reviewed: February 2017

www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk