Positive HPV and Total Hysterectomy

[BlueJeanGal]

Hi, I've tried to see if this forum has exactly my situation but I still feel uneasy.  I had a total hysterectomy 6 years ago and just had my annual pap.  It came back normal but on the report, it says "HPV - positive".  At the time I went in, I was just recovered from some discharge but it was much better than it had been.  I am now clear again with no discharge at all.

Anyway, the report didn't say anything about follow-up.  Do I need to have this checked out?  I have no ovaries nor cervix (I guess).  Also, my husband of 3 years and I are monogamous (no question about this at all!).  Any advice would be most appreciated!  Other than this, I'm totally fine and have no history of cancer or anything else.  The hysterectomy was due to large benign fibroid tumors that caused so much menstrual bleeding and cramping.  My sister had cervical and ovarian cancer but she's also a heavy smoker and I'm not a smoker.  My doctor advised removing the ovaries for this reason (my sis) and I've been great with no side-effects.  I do use the .05 mg estradiol patch tho.

In advance, thank you so much!  I think this is the sum total of my medical history...  :-)

[simplynat]

Hi there, you shouldn`t need to have another test, the digiene test should have differentiated between the two categories. I would ask for a copy of your report - you are entitled to it and maybe give the doctor a call to ask him/her if you tested positive for HR or LR (or both).
I know condoms can be so annoying but there is research showing the benefits of condom use and the body's abilitiy to clear an active infection due to a lower viral load. Once the infection is cleared then you could try going back to not using condoms. It's something for you to think about anyways.
There are a few good sites available, most focus on cervical dysplasia because it is far more common than vaginal and vulva.

Here are a couple of links to a site in regards to vaginal dysplasia/cancer
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vaginal-cancer/DS00812
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/vaginal/patient/

Here are a couple of links for vulvar dysplasia/cancer
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vulvar-cancer/DS00768
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_1x_what_is_vulvar_cancer_45.asp

Here is a link to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition site (now the National HPV Cancer Coalition) It has plenty of good information that can be browsed through.
http://www.nccc-online.org/patient_info/hpv.html
This is a link to another good forum. It is sponsored by the National Cervical Cancer Coalition and many of the members attend the NCCC conferences regularly. The women there run the gamet of experiences and provide plently of up to date, accurate information but most importantly, friendly support!
http://www.inspire.com/groups/national-cervical-cancer-coalition/

[BlueJeanGal]

Thank you so very much for responding.  No, I don't know if it is high or low risk -- only that it tested positive.  Do I need to be re-tested or does the lab report (which I don't have a copy of) have this on it?  This labwork cost me $180 and I have to pay for all tests/routine doctor's visits out of my own pocket (I'm only covered for hospitalization and catastrophic).  The healthy lifestyle I'm doing pretty good on -- no smoking, adequte rest, low stress, no irritations except that we don't use condoms.  I do need to do the exercise part and eat more of those veggies tho and will do so...  If you could let me know about how to obtain the HR-HPV test results (either a new test or obtaining a copy of the test they took), that would be great.  God bless you!  Oh, one last thing -- I've heard of vaginal and/or vulva dysplasia, however, I don't know what it is.  Can you direct me to a good website that has an explanation that I can understand?

[simplynat]

Do you know if the active HPV infection is of a high risk category or low risk category? The longer a HR strain(s) of HPV is active the higher the possibility for dysplasia to develop. Being that you have had a hysterectomy (and no cervix left) you obviously won't develop cervical dysplasia but it is possible for HR-HPV to cause vaginal and/or vulva dysplasia. However, for most women, they can clear an active infection without ever developing any symptoms or ill effects. IF you are testing positive for HR-HPV, many doctors will like to follow up in about 6 months time to see if you manged to clear the active infection (push it into dormancy). If not, recent studies suggest that you be referred for a colopscopy to see if there is, by chance, any dysplasia developing in the vulva or vagina that may have been missed during a pap smear. But, like I said for most women they can clear it without any ill effects. HPV has an ability to lie dormant for years (over 20 even) before becomming active, if it ever does so it is important to keep up with regular smears and tests for life.
There are steps that you can take to help push an active infection into dormancy, all include living a healthy lifestyle, like exercise, no smoking (which can double the risk for cervical cancer), healthy eating with lots of cruciferous vegetable containing DIM - like brocolli, bok choy, kale etc., adequate rest, low stress, nothing irritating in the vagina (like tampons, perfumes, douching) and using condoms until the infection has cleared. There is research that links viral loads and the body's inability to clear an HPV infection.