How to get tested for HPV

High-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) can be detected through a simple test and among women, who stand a higher risk of cervical cancer, this can be done along with the pap smear test.

On the other had, there is as of now no FDA-approved test to detect HPV in men. The reason for this is that there has yet to be developed an effective and dependable way to collect a sample of male genital skin cells, which would allow detection of HPV. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention men don’t need to be worried about the lack of HPV test for them. The agency advises that “there is no clear health benefit to knowing if men have this virus, since HPV is unlikely to affect their health and cannot be treated. For most men, there would be no need to treat HPV, even if treatment were available, since it usually goes away on its own.”

The laboratory research that is being carried out presently is largely focused on the development of HPV vaccines that will offer protection against a wider range of HPV types. There is also a fair amount of research interest in the development of therapeutic vaccines, which seek to get bring out immune responses against established HPV infections and HPV-induced cancers.

An HPV test usually checks for genetic material (DNA) of the human papilloma virus. In the fashion of a pap test, an HPV test is done on women on a sample of cells collected from the cervix.

Among the many types of HPV, some that are common manifest in the form of plantar, filiform, or flat warts. Other types cause genital warts, a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that affects both men and women.

An HPV test is often done as follow-up to an Pap test that has been abnormal. An HPV test helps ascertain whether one or more high-risk types of HPV have given rise to the abnormal Pap test result. An HPV test is also done to fix the cause of minor cervical cell changes of unknown cause, or ASC (atypical squamous cells ). If an HPV test showed presence of high-risk types of HPV, other tests such as a colposcopy, or cervical biopsy may become necessary.

Women are advised before an HPV test not to douche, use tampons, or use vaginal medications for at least 48 hours. It is also advisable to time the test before or after the menstrual period, because blood cells often interfere with test results. Experts advise to schedule the test 8 to 12 days from the start of last menstrual period.
Before the test the patient is asked to empty bladder, for both comfort as well as for easy examination.

At the time of the test, the patient is asked to to remove her clothes below the waist and to wrap around the waist either a paper or cloth. The patient will then lie on her back on an examination table with feet raised and supported by stirrups to allows the health professional examine the vaginal and genital area.