High-Risk HPV Symptoms?

Question

I know everyone says that there are usually not any symptoms for high-risk HPV (not the genital warts strains). But every source says "usually." What are the possible symptoms, does anyone know? I have just been diagnosed with this and mild dysplasia, and have been having vaginal problems for a while. Painful sex, weird discharge, strange smells... But no yeast or bacterial infection was present. Could these things have anything to do with my dysplasia and high-risk HPV? I dunno... If not, then I wonder what could be causing these things. Anyway, thanks!

mkh9 · Accepted Answer

High risk HPV has no symptoms until it progresses to cervical cancer and even then doesn't have symptoms until the late stages so this is why we all get screened. .As for the discharge with the 'funny smell" it can be bacterial vaginosis (BV). It is not classified as a bacterial infection such as staph or streptococci) but it is caused by different bacteria that they don't usually culture for. They can test for these too but the symptoms are smelly discharge sometimes whitish thin. But it is hard to tell from the discharge alone. It is important to get treated because BV can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and affect having a baby too. So, I would go to the doctor and suggest they check you for BV. It does recur and douching is bad because it changes the Ph that favors anerobic bacteria not the normal flora (predominantly Lactobacillus). The vagina is self cleaning and you don't have to do that if you are. I hope this helps.

mkh9

mkh9 · Answer

Hi Prettylemons,
Yes they may not have tested for BV. Did you tell them about the smelly discharge? Pelvic inflammatory disease could cause painful sex. Other things do as well but the displasia wouldn't do that. They need to reevaluate why you have this discharge. Trichomonas is another organism that they should look for if they haven't. Sometimes they can miss this on the first try. There are some new molecular based tests now that can help diagnose Trichomonas. Regarding the HPV, they supposed to test for HPV until after 30 years old because you usually clear it when you are younger, but you are supposed to get PAP smears starting at 3 years after becoming sexually active. 
mkh9

prettylemons · Answer

Thank you. They found the HPV in my recent annual pap, while I was still having the weird symptoms, and they didn't say that BV was present... Do you think they would have skipped over it or something? I don't know... But it wouldn't have anything to do with the painful sex that I've always experienced either? What do you think could be causing that?

Thanks for the reply! :)

High-Risk HPV Symptoms?

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