Exact Answer- It can take weeks, months or even years after exposure
HPV is a virus and it is the abbreviation of Human papillomavirus. It is an infection that causes warts in different parts of the human body that widely depends on the strain. HPV or Human papillomavirus is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases which is also known as STI.
Interestingly, people having HPV do not experience any kind of symptoms but they can still infect others through sexual contacts. The symptoms of this disease might include warts on the genitals or the private parts or surrounding the skin.
How Long After HPV Exposure Can You Get Abnormal Pap?
| How long after HPV exposure can you take the pap? | It can take weeks, months or even years in rare case after exposure |
| How long does it take HPV to turn into pre-cancerous cell bodies? | About 15-20 years |
Abnormal pap is a test that is also called by many names such as Pap Smear, Pap Test or Abnormal Pap. This means that when the test is conducted it finds some of the cells to be coming back to normal.
A pap test is done as part of a woman’s daily physical exam, because it is the only and the most suitable way to prevent from having a cervical cancer. One always needs to keep in mind that having an abnormal test does not mean that the patient has cancer. The chance of having cervix cancer is very small in such type of tests.
Now, HPV is the reason why the patient has to do a pap test. Sometimes, if an individual is a victim of HPV the cell change that occurs goes away.
Sometimes when the cell changes automatically that mostly happens due to another type of infection that is caused by bacteria or yeast. But, you do not have to worry these infections can be treated and it is curable.
Why Does It Take That Long After HPV Exposure Abnormal Pap To Show?
As per few reports, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection that an individual can get. It takes quite some time as HPV infects the epithelial cells which are present on the mucus membrane and skin.
If there is a contact in those areas with some other person who has the infection could transmit the virus. Another data has proved that almost one in four people in America has been victim of HPV disease.
Now, there are many types of HPV that one can have. HPV can go away on its own depending on the type of HPV that the individual has been the victim of. In some cases, the virus can linger inside your body for years.
In most cases, the human body produces antibodies against the virus and kills every one of them within one to two years. If you are lucky enough most types or strains of HPV go away permanently without any treatment.
If you are a victim of HPV then having sex without any protection and with more than one sex partner can increase the risk of getting cervix cancer. HPV can stay in the human body for a very long time (more than 20 years) without the victim knowing it. If you have only one partner in your life with whom you have safer sex, you could still have an abnormal Pap test.
Additionally, one also need to keep in mind that smoking, taking drugs, or with an weak immune system increases the chance of developing abnormal cells. If you are a victim of HPV then avoid doing such things it will do no better.
Conclusion
It is always better to be safe than to be a victim of any of such sexually transmitted diseases. If you feel any symptom then it will be better to consult the doctor straight away. But, you do have to know that the treatment will depend on whether your abnormal changes are mild, moderate or very severe.
If the changes are mild you do not have to go through any treatment but if they are moderate or severe, you may have the treatment to destroy or have to remove the abnormal cells.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0090825810000892
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/path.1893
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The information provided is clear and concise. Thank you!
This article presents the facts very well but doesn’t delve into any controversy surrounding the virus.
HPV can be very dangerous, it’s important to seek medical advice.
I don’t think it’s necessary to be so cautious about a virus that ultimately goes away on its own.
Great post. I think it was well addressed and informative.
Could be helpful to know how to boost the immune system to fight off the virus.
The tone of this article is a bit too alarmist, HPV is common and not dangerous in most cases.
Thank you for the great information!
This is very informative and well researched. I appreciate the references at the end.
You can’t be too careful when it comes to your health, better safe than sorry!
I agree, this post really sheds light on HPV and its effects.