If there is a need to undergo 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 about the delivery of tests.
What is HPV?
Human papillomavirus is a microorganism that contains the cellular structure of DNA. When HPV DNA enters the human body, it causes a mutation that leads to irreversible processes. Most of the population is already carriers of 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. It is HPV that is effective in all formations on the skin, except for moles and acne. If the growths are not treated promptly, malignancy occurs and a harmless wart can develop into cervical cancer in women and urethral cancer in men.
Why is the human papillomavirus dangerous?
When papillomas, genital warts or warts appear on the body, an ordinary person cannot distinguish them from each other, confusing them with something that can not harm.
It is not so simple - a small papilloma can grow to cause many inconveniences, from aesthetic discomfort to the development of cancerous tumors. More than 130 strains of human papillomavirus are known, and each manifests itself in different ways.
The most common of these are types 16 and 18, which cause cancer of the mucous membrane, 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 the person sees changes in his body in the form of growth.
Papilloma analysis can be done in any clinic. After 40 years, more than half of the lesions become malignant. Timely diagnosis gives a person a good chance of a painless old age, which will not be overshadowed by cancer.
Why human papillomavirus test?
To protect yourself from oncogenic diseases, you must timely identify a potential threat to life and health. With an extensive list of causes of spread, HPV is transmitted from person to person through close contact - hugging, kissing, sexual intercourse, using general hygiene products.
The virus settles under the skin and mutates in the body, destroying the healthy DNA structure. When immunity fails, HPV appears on the skin in the form of warts, papillomas and similar rashes. Only an inspection can detect the virus at an early stage and prevent its further spread.
When is HPV testing scheduled?
When the first signs of the disease appear in the body, the doctor can even see them with a visual examination. An HPV test is prescribed to understand where the virus comes from in the body, determine its type, and then eliminate it.
Even if it is thought that not every infected person can get cancer, no one wants to tempt fate, which means that tests must be done. If a woman is planning to become pregnant, she should 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 papilloma virus.
Features of passing the analysis for HPV
Detection of HPV before the age of 30 is considered uninformative, as the disease extends far beyond the human eye. After the age of 30, the first tests are prescribed that can detect the papilloma virus even in the earliest stages.
The less time has passed since the moment of infection, the more effective the subsequent treatment will be. It is necessary to determine the moment when normal cells begin to turn into cancerous cells. Methods for diagnosing human papillomavirus depend on several factors:
- Identification of the virus and the fact of its presence in the body
- Learn diversity
- Assess the damage the person has caused while not seeking medical attention
- Prescribe high-quality and effective treatment
Do not forget:Since the virus has already interacted with cells in the body's DNA, it will never completely leave the host. HPV will remain calm until immune defenses are weakened.
What kind of analysis should be done to detect HPV?
- Colposcopic examination. HPV tests in women are performed with 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 containing epithelial cells is taken, then the samples are examined under a microscope. If the cells are replaced, there is a risk of developing HPV. There is a risk of incorrect results.
- Histology. It is an addition to cytology to rule out an error. A small piece of the affected tissue is removed and the doctor evaluates the difficulty of the position through the microscope. With the help of histological examination it is possible to determine the nature of the formation.
- PCR diagnosis. The most accurate way with 98% accuracy. Swab, urine, blood or amniotic fluid taken
If the presence of virus is detected in at least one examination, the patient is sent for additional analysis to ensure the accuracy of the result. If the result is found to be false positive, it may be due to contaminated test material or a violation of the 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 trusting the attending physician, the patient himself should follow the process of going through the analysis and know the basic processes. The doctor is the expert, but the health belongs to the patient.
How to get biomaterial?
Strokes are taken with a soft brush resembling a brush. Free clinics sometimes use a Volkmann spoon - it is a small spoon on a long handle. Such a brush is gently inserted into the channel, after which it is removed with rotational movements. The brush is placed in a sterile bottle and sent for further research.
How to prepare for the procedure for women
You cannot have sexual intercourse 2 days before the procedure, use antibacterial soap, take a shower, use tampons. If a smear was taken from the cervix, you can not have sex, play sports, overheat, swim in public and take blood thinners for 3 weeks after the procedure.
How to prepare for the procedure for men
Take a shower for 2 days without detergent, excluding sexual intercourse. Do not urinate before the procedure.
General preparation for the procedure
The doctor should be informed about all the drugs that the person has taken in the last 2 months.
How is the HPV blood test done?
Used for PCR diagnosis. From a finger, sometimes from a vein, depending on what kind of analysis the person is getting. A slight tingling sensation from the injection is the maximum discomfort from the procedure. If the veins in the elbow area are narrow, the bloodletting process will be difficult, but the doctor will tell you how to properly dilate the vein.
The procedure is done on an empty stomach, you can not even drink water. It is recommended to take a 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 better to take care of the sterile jar yourself. You can buy it at the pharmacy. Collect morning urine in a jar on an empty stomach. Then preferably immediately take it for examination, the maximum time is 4 hours or the result will be invalid. The method is not as accurate as taking blood, but if you cannot donate blood, you will need to use this method.
How long does the HPV test take for men and women?
If a colposcopic examination was performed, the result is given immediately. Results with cytological examination will be available only after a week. Histology is done for 3 days, after which you can get the test result in your hands. With PCR diagnostics, you can get results immediately or wait up to 2 days.
When and how often should you be tested for HPV?
Until the age of 30, only those with obvious signs of growth are examined. Usually at this age HPV is dormant and does not spread throughout the body.
Between the ages of 30-60, it is necessary to go to the examination every 3 years. The level of immunity is falling, so the symptoms of the human papillomavirus should be detected in a timely manner.
After 60 years, there is usually no examination. If the presence of a virus was not detected during the last two tests, there is no need to worry. If there are symptoms, you will need to undergo treatment until the last 2 results are negative.
Cost and prices for delivery of HPV tests
Most examinations are free in the presence of acute diseases or in the presence of a cancerous tumor. They can be prescribed by the attending oncologist.
For a complete picture of the development of the virus, 2 methods are usually used to eliminate the possibility of misinformation.
Decoding the results
Decryption should only be done by the attending physician. Patient intervention does nothing good. To understand what the results are about, you should pay attention to the following words:
- reference values - no HPV;
- positive result - an oncogenic strain of HPV was detected;
- the result is negative - no cancerous signs were found, but there is a possibility of finding other types of HPV.
If the patient has decided to regain his health and find out about the presence of the human papillomavirus in his body, he should resort to the above methods. Timely diagnosis has saved millions of people and helped them find a calm, healthy life. Only after fully passing the tests is it possible to prescribe quality treatment.
Sometimes the patient is sent for tests without external manifestations of the disease, and the procedure shows that there is HPV in the body. In this case, the treatment does not take long. That's why doctors advise you to seek help in a timely manner.