If it is necessary to pass an analysis to identify HPV, there is nothing to worry about. Most of the procedures are absolutely painless and some are quite tolerated by any patient. Consider the most common questions related to test delivery.
What is HPV?
Human papillomavirus is a microorganism that contains the cellular structure of DNA. When introduced into the human body, HPV DNA causes a mutation, which leads to irreversible processes. Most of the population already carries the virus, but few people realize it, since the virus does not manifest itself in any way.
As soon as the body fails, the immune system weakens and growths appear on the body. For all formations on the skin, with the exception of moles and acne, it is HPV that affects. If the growths are not treated promptly, a malignant tumor occurs and a harmless wart can turn into cervical cancer in women and urethral cancer in men.
Why is the human papilloma virus dangerous?
When papillomas, genital warts or warts appear on the body, an ordinary person is hardly able to distinguish them from each other, mistaking them for something that is not capable of causing harm.
It's not that simple: a small papilloma can grow to a size that can cause a lot of discomfort, from aesthetic discomfort to the development of cancerous tumors. More than 130 human papillomavirus strains are known, and each of them manifests itself in different ways.
The most common are types 16 and 18, which cause cancer of the mucous membranes, cervix, vagina, penis and other similar diseases. Since at first a person does not know about the presence of the virus in the body, HPV develops gradually, and after 5-10 years a person sees changes on his body in the form of growths.
Analysis for papilloma can be done in any clinic. After 40 years, more than half of the lesions become malignant. Timely diagnosis gives a person the possibility of a painless old age, which will not be overshadowed by cancer.
Why test for human papillomavirus?
To protect yourself from oncogenic diseases, it is necessary to identify a potential threat to life and health in a timely manner. With a long list of reasons for its spread, HPV is spread from person to person through close contact - hugging, kissing, intercourse, using common hygiene products.
The virus takes root under the skin and destroys the healthy DNA structure, mutating throughout the body. When immunity fails, HPV appears on the skin in the form of warts, papillomas and similar rashes. Only an examination can detect the virus at an early stage and stop its further spread.
When is an HPV test scheduled?
When the first signs of the disease appear on the body, the doctor can also see them with a visual examination. An HPV test is prescribed to understand where the virus comes from in the body, identify the type, and then eliminate.
Even considering that not all infected people are capable of becoming cancer, no one wants to tempt fate, which means testing is required. If a woman plans to become pregnant, she must be tested for HPV, as the virus will easily penetrate the baby. The father should also not be indifferent, because he can be a carrier of the papillomavirus.
Features of the analysis step for HPV
Detection of HPV before age 30 is believed to be uninformative, as the disease proceeds far beyond the human eye. After 30, the first tests are prescribed that can detect the papillomavirus even in the early stages.
The less time has passed since the infection, the more effective the subsequent treatment will be. It is necessary to identify the time when normal cells begin to grow into cancerous ones. Methods for diagnosing human papillomavirus depend on several factors:
- Identification of the virus and the very fact of its presence in the body
- Discover the variety
- Assess the damage that was caused during the time the person did not seek medical attention
- Prescribe a high-quality and effective treatment
To remember:the virus will never completely leave the host, as it already interacts with the organism's DNA cells. HPV will remain calm until the immune defenses are weakened.
What kind of analysis to transmit to HPV detection?
- Colposcopic examination. HPV tests in women are performed by this method. It is designed to detect genital warts. It is prescribed for women to detect genital warts located in the cervical region.
- Cytology. A smear is taken, which contains epithelial cells, and then the taken samples are examined under a microscope. If the cells are impaired, there is a risk of developing HPV. There is a risk of a false result.
- Histology. It is an addition to cytology to rule out an error. A small piece of the affected tissue is taken and the doctor evaluates the difficulty of the position through a microscope. With the help of histological examination, it is possible to determine the nature of the formation.
- PCR diagnostics. The most truthful way with 98% accuracy. Swab, urine, blood, or amniotic fluid taken
If at least one exam reveals the presence of a virus, the patient will be sent for further analysis to ensure the accuracy of the result. If the result is found to be a false positive, the cause may be contaminated test material or a violation of generally accepted sampling technique.
Sometimes patients prepare incorrectly for the analysis or choose the wrong time for the procedure - these factors can also cause false results.
Test rules
In addition to relying on the attending physician, the patient himself must follow the process of passing the analysis and know the basic processes. The doctor is a specialist, but health belongs to the patient.
How is the biomaterial taken?
The strokes are taken with a soft brush, which looks like a paintbrush. In free clinics, a Volkmann spoon is sometimes used - it is a small spoon on a long stem. Such a brush is gently inserted into the canal, then removed with rotating movements. The brush is placed in a sterile flask and sent for further research.
How to prepare for the procedure for women
2 days before the procedure, you can not live sexually, use soap with an antibacterial effect, shower, use tampons. If a smear was taken from the cervix, after the procedure for 3 weeks, it is not possible to have sex, play sports, overheat, swim in public places and take medications that affect blood thinning.
How to prepare for the procedure for men
Sexual intercourse is excluded, shower for 2 days without detergents. Do not urinate before the procedure.
General preparation for the procedure
It is necessary to inform the doctor about all medications that have been taken by a person in the past 2 months.
How is an HPV blood test done?
Used for PCR diagnostics. From a finger, sometimes from a vein, depending on the type of analysis the person will do. A slight tingling sensation from the injection is the maximum discomfort of the procedure. If the vessels in the elbow area are narrow, the blood sampling process will become difficult, but your doctor will tell you how to properly expand the vein.
The procedure is carried out on an empty stomach, you can not even drink water. It is recommended that you bring a bar of chocolate with you. 3 days before donating blood, it is necessary to exclude from the diet all foods that cause an allergic reaction.
How is urine tested?
It is best to take care of the sterile jar yourself. You can buy it at the pharmacy. Collect the morning urine in a jar on an empty stomach. Then bring it for examination, preferably immediately, the maximum period is 4 hours or the result will be invalid. The method is not as accurate as taking blood, but if it is not possible to donate blood, you will have to use this method.
How long does it take to test for HPV in women and men?
If a colposcopic examination has taken place, the result is issued immediately. With a cytological examination, the results will be ready only after a week. Histology is performed for 3 days, so you can get the test result on your hands. With PCR diagnostics, you can take the results immediately or wait up to 2 days.
When and how often should you get tested for HPV?
Until the age of 30, only those who have obvious signs of growth on the body are examined. Usually at this age, HPV is dormant and does not spread throughout the body.
From 30 to 60 years it is necessary to take an exam every 3 years. The level of immunity is decreasing, so the signs of the human papillomavirus should be detected in time.
After the age of 60, there are usually no exams. If no virus was found during the last two tests, you don't need to worry. If there were any manifestations, you will have to engage in treatment until the last 2 results are negative.
Cost and pricing for HPV test delivery
In the presence of acute illness or at the conclusion of a cancerous tumor, most of the tests are free. They can be prescribed by the oncologist present.
For a complete picture of the development of the virus, 2 methods are usually used to eliminate the likelihood of false information.
Decode the results
Decoding should only be done by the attending physician. Patient intervention will do no good. To understand what the results are, you should pay attention to the following words:
- reference values - HPV is absent;
- positive result: an oncogenic HPV strain was detected;
- the result is negative - no cancerous manifestations have been found, but there is a possibility of finding other types of HPV.
If the patient decided to take care of health and find out about the presence of the human papillomavirus in her body, then one should resort to the above methods. Timely diagnosis has saved millions of people and helped them find a calm and healthy life. Only after thoroughly passing the tests is it possible to prescribe quality treatment.
Sometimes the patient is sent for tests with no external signs of the disease, and the procedure shows that there is HPV in the body. In this case, the treatment will not take long. It is for this reason that doctors recommend asking for help on time.