Don’t worry, I’m trying not to share the infection too.

I will consider this PSA effective then!

I WAS vaccinated, and I still tested positive. It sucks – but it’s manageable.

HPV and Herpes are the most commen STDs for women – and they also happen to the be the 2 STDS they DON’T test for during STD tests. If you don’t have symptoms, it’s not a bad idea to request a blood test from your doctor to be on the safe side. Like HPV, most people don’t have symptoms, and so they are unaware that they spread it.

Good luck with everything, but keep in mind, that the worst part about an STD is the stigma.

Again, I don’t think HPV is detectable via a blood test. Otherwise men could be reliably tested and that is not the case. And thanks for the info on the vaccine… I didn’t know that. Still, I bet those 4 strains are all high risk so it’s not without value to go ahead and get it anyway.

The doctors’ group also felt it was safe to test women less often because cervical cancer grows slowly, so there is time to catch precancerous growths. Cervical cancer is caused by a sexually transmitted virus, human papillomavirus, or HPV, that is practically ubiquitous. Only some people who are exposed to it develop cancer; in most, the immune system fights off the virus. If cancer does develop, it can take 10 to 20 years after exposure to the virus.

The new guidelines say women 30 and older who have three consecutive Pap tests that were normal, and who have no history of seriously abnormal findings, can stretch the interval between screenings to three years.

In addition, women who have a total hysterectomy (which removes the uterus and cervix) for a noncancerous condition, and who had no severe abnormalities on previous Pap tests, can quit having the tests entirely.

The guidelines also say that women can stop having Pap tests between 65 and 70 if they have three or more negative tests in a row and no abnormal test results in the last 10 years.

Are these the same fools who say that we shouldn’t start having mammograms until age 50? All they’re doing is making me pay more $$ since my insurance is going to stop covering things.

Oh please, I’d do a three way call for this, not an email. Sheesh.

Conference me in! I’m waiting.

I’m glad I heard it from you.

And not from an e-mail response sent to both of us from QTMama.

Good on you for the PSA. I hope this is resolved in the best way possible.

And seriously,…Big? Horrible gift giver.

-R.

*snort* I’m torn between laughing hysterically and feeling bad for QTMama. Laughing hysterically is totally winning.

My last visit came back odd for the 1st time in my life, but after further examination it turned out to be nothing.

I hope it works itself out of you fast!!

Yay for being proactive! And the good news is they won’t have to do anything they weren’t going to do anyway in order to run the test.

I’m taking care of it as best I can. I think it’s good for everyone (me included) to be reminded that this is common and we’re not alone.

Dude, while it’s a shock I’m sure, be glad it didn’t come out on you in the form of genital warts!

See the positive spin I can put on things? This is, clearly why you love me.

MWAH.

I’m sure I didn’t mention my symptoms. Just sayin’.

I thought blood tests wouldn’t turn show it? Everything I’ve read and know says it’s an additional test run with your PAP smear and that blood tests are unhelpful.