Most women read the words “HPV positive” and think about cancer.
A positive HPV test is not a cancer diagnosis, and it does not mean you are going to get cancer.
It means one thing: at the moment your sample was taken, the virus was present. In a small number of women, if a high-risk type stays for years, it can lead to changes in the cells of the cervix. The result is information. It is not a diagnosis.
What HPV actually is
HPV stands for human papillomavirus. It is not one virus but a large family of related viruses, and some of them are passed on through sexual contact – not only intercourse, but skin and mucous-membrane contact.
HPV is extremely common. Most sexually active people come into contact with it at some point in their lives.
That is worth saying plainly, because it is usually the first thing women want to know: a positive HPV test says nothing about how many partners you have had, and nothing about anyone’s faithfulness. One partner is enough. The virus can sit quietly for years, so the result cannot tell you when the infection began.
What a positive result does and does not mean
A positive HPV test means the virus was found in your sample.
It does not mean:
- that you have cervical cancer
- that you have abnormal cells
- that abnormal cells will develop
- that the infection is recent
In most women the immune system clears the infection on its own. The risk comes from a high-risk type that persists for years – and even then, screening is designed to catch changes long before they become serious.
Not all HPV types are the same
This is the part that often goes unexplained.
Low-risk types can cause genital warts. Unpleasant, but they do not lead to cancer.
High-risk types are the ones that can cause cell changes in the cervix. Two of them stand out: HPV 16 and HPV 18. Together they account for roughly two thirds of cervical cancers.
So being positive for “a” high-risk type is not the same as being positive for 16 or 18. That is why genotyping matters – a result that tells you which type was found. If you have only been told that your test was positive, ask whether genotyping was done. The answer changes what happens next.
Why HPV usually clears by itself
In most cases the immune system clears the virus without any treatment, usually within about two years.
The path from infection to cell changes is slow. Where changes do develop, it can take anywhere from one to ten years for them to appear. That slowness is exactly why regular screening works – time is on the side of the woman who keeps her appointments.
One thing makes clearance harder, and the effect is real: smoking.
When HPV becomes a problem
A single positive result is not the risk. Persistent infection is – the same high-risk type still present years later.
It is worth being precise here. Infection with a high-risk type is necessary for cervical cancer to develop, but it is not sufficient on its own. The great majority of women who carry high-risk HPV never develop cancer.
That is why the response to a positive HPV test is follow-up, not panic. There is no medication that removes HPV, so the goal is not to treat the virus. The goal is to find out whether the infection has cleared, and to catch any change in the cervix early.
What happens after a positive HPV test
A positive HPV test is followed by colposcopy and a cytology (Pap) test.
Colposcopy is an examination of the cervix under magnification, which shows whether there is a change and what it looks like. Cytology shows whether the cells have already changed.
Together the two answer the only question that matters at that point: whether a change is there, and whether it needs treatment or only monitoring. If a change is found, a small tissue sample is taken so that it can be identified precisely.
How closely you are followed after that depends on your age, your previous results, the type of virus and your risk factors, and is agreed with your gynecologist.
Screening in Serbia: what to expect
If you are being screened in Serbia, there is a practical difference worth knowing.
The national cervical screening programme here is based on the Pap test, not on HPV testing. Women aged 25 to 64 are invited for an examination with a Pap test every three years.
HPV testing is being introduced through pilot projects. In one of them, the Institute of Public Health of Serbia tested 10,000 women aged 30 to 65 in Belgrade and Niš with both an HPV test and a Pap test. HPV was positive in 13% of them; abnormal cytology was found in 3.7%. Roughly one woman in eight tested positive – and in most of those, cytology was normal.
The gap between those two numbers is the clearest illustration of this whole subject.
You can arrange an HPV test yourself, without waiting. There is no need to wait for an invitation from the national programme: the test is available privately, at a gynecologist, and no referral is required. It is worth considering if you are over 30, if more than three years have passed since your last check-up, or if you want genotyping, which the national programme does not include.
The practical consequence: because HPV testing is not yet the standard national test, many women here have it done privately. The result then arrives without a built-in plan for what comes next. If you had an HPV test privately and the result is positive, bring it to a gynecologist rather than waiting for your next routine invitation.
For context, about 1,200 women in Serbia are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and about 630 die of it. It is the fifth most common cancer in women overall, but the second most common in women aged 15 to 44 – which is why screening starts early.
Partners, pregnancy and everyday life
A few questions come up almost every time.
Should my partner be tested? There is no routine HPV test for men. No test would give a useful answer or change the plan.
Do condoms protect me? They reduce the risk of transmission but do not remove it, because the virus also spreads through skin and mucous-membrane contact beyond the area a condom covers.
Can I still get pregnant? A positive HPV test on its own is not a reason to delay pregnancy. If there is a change in the cervix, the approach is assessed individually – and colposcopy can be done during pregnancy.
Do I need to change how I live? Not in the sense of avoiding intimacy or isolating yourself. One change genuinely helps, and measurably: stopping smoking.
Does the vaccine help if I am already positive?
The HPV vaccine does not treat an infection you already have. It is not a therapy.
What it can do is protect against types you have not yet encountered. Because there are several high-risk types, testing positive for one does not mean you have been exposed to all of them. So vaccination after a positive result is not pointless – but it is not automatic either. It is a decision to make with your doctor, based on your age and your results.
Vaccination as part of prevention is covered on the page on how to prevent gynecologic cancers.
The short version
- A positive HPV test is not a cancer diagnosis, and most often there is no abnormality at all.
- The risk comes from persistent infection with a high-risk type, not from one result.
- Genotyping matters: 16 and 18 change the plan.
- There is no cure for HPV, but there is follow-up that catches changes early.
- If you had the test done privately, take the result to a gynecologist.
The same principle applies to check-ups when you have no symptoms at all, which is covered in can gynecological conditions exist without symptoms.
Book a gynecological appointment in Belgrade
If you have a positive HPV result and you are not sure what to do next, bring it to a consultation with Dr Jelena Štulić.
To book an appointment, call: +381 11 3542 900
Frequently asked questions
Does a positive HPV test mean I have cancer?
No. A positive result means the virus was found in your sample. It says nothing about cancer or about abnormal cells. In most women the infection clears on its own.
Can HPV go away on its own?
Yes. The immune system usually clears the virus without treatment, generally within about two years. The concern is a high-risk type that stays for years.
What does it mean if I am positive for HPV 16 or 18?
These are the two highest-risk types, and together they account for roughly two thirds of cervical cancers. A result like that is followed more closely, and the next steps are decided individually.
Should my partner be tested for HPV?
There is no routine HPV test for men, so it is not advised. The result would not change your follow-up plan.
Can I get pregnant if I am HPV positive?
A positive HPV test on its own is not a reason to delay pregnancy. If there is a change in the cervix, the approach is assessed individually.
Does the HPV vaccine help if I am already positive?
The vaccine does not treat an existing infection, but it can protect against types you have not been exposed to. It is a decision to make with your doctor.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
- NHS. Cervical screening: your results.
- Cancer Research UK. Cervical screening results.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Updated Guidelines for Management of Cervical Cancer Screening Abnormalities (2019 ASCCP Risk-Based Management Consensus Guidelines).
- ICO/IARC HPV Information Centre. Human Papillomavirus and Related Cancers, Serbia. Fact Sheet 2023.
- Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanović Batut”. National programme for early detection of cervical cancer; results of the HPV testing pilot project.
This article is for information only and does not replace an individual examination, diagnosis or medical advice. The need for any particular examination or diagnostic procedure is assessed individually, in line with your state of health, previous findings and current professional guidelines.
