Results FAQs

HPV is a very common virus that most people will come into contact with at some point in their lives. Some types of HPV (called ‘high-risk’ types) can cause cervical cancer in a small number of people. Your cervical screening test looks for these high-risk types.

Your cervical screening test result shows you do have the virus but it is not causing any problems with the cells on your cervix at this time.

In this case, because the cells are normal, you can have your test repeated in 12 months’ time. This will give your body’s immune system some more time to try to deal with the virus. In most people, the virus will go without any treatment being needed.

If the virus is still found after 12 months and there are any changes seen in the cells, you will be sent to a colposcopy clinic for a closer look at your cervix.

If your cells are still normal, you will be invited for another test after a further 12 months. Should you still have the virus then, you will be offered an appointment at a colposcopy clinic even if the cells are still normal.

No, our screeners have checked your cervical sample and no cell changes were identified. Because we have identified that you still have HPV, we have referred you to colposcopy to make sure that there are no changes to your cervix (neck of the womb).

There are a number of reasons why we may not have been able to process your sample. Often this is due to a sample taker error or a problem with the vial that your sample was sent in.  Due to you previous cervical screening (smear) test results, we have referred you to colposcopy to check your cervix (neck of the womb) for any changes, therefore it is important that you attend.

We understand that with a HPV positive result that having to wait can be worrying. It is important that you wait 12 weeks to allow the cells on your cervix to grow back, this will help ensure that we can give you an accurate result.

If you are very concerned please speak with the doctor or nurse who took your sample or contact the regional cervical screening nurse, who can advise on your individual screening history.   

As you are HPV positive and without checking your cells, we are unable to provide you with an accurate result. Cervical cancer is very rare, however we understand that delays to your cervical screening result can be worrying. If you are concerned please speak with the doctor or nurse who took your sample or contact the regional cervical screening nurse, who can provide you with advice based on your individual screening history.  

It is important that you attend for a repeat cervical screening (smear) test no sooner than 12 weeks after your original screening test, this is to allow the cells to grow back. 

If your result says that you have HPV, then this will be ‘high-risk’ HPV, which can cause cervical cancer in a small number of people. Our test looks for 14 different High Risk HPV types but will only tell us if high-risk HPV is found. It does not tell us which HPV type, or how many HPV types were found.

Yes, as we need to repeat the test to be able to give you the result. We need to be able to check whether you have HPV/abnormal cell changes, to prevent cervical cancer developing

HPV is a very common virus passed through intimate skin-to-skin contact. Four out of five of us will get HPV at some point in our lives, however most of us will clear the virus naturally within two years. If HPV infection persists, it can sometimes cause cervical cell changes which, if left untreated, may result in cervical cancer.

Evidence shows that it takes around 15 to 20 years from HPV infection to the development of cervical cancer in people with a normal immune system.

HPV is a common virus which most people clear naturally within 2 years. As you do not have any cell changes, we do not need to send you to colposcopy now. We will continue to monitor you and will refer you to colposcopy if you are still HPV positive after 24 months.

As we have been unable to provide you with a result from your last two cervical screening (smear) tests, we have referred you back to colposcopy as we need to ensure that there are no changes to your cervix (neck of the womb).

As colposcopy have checked your cervix and did not find any changes, we do not need to see you sooner than 36 months.

Evidence shows that it takes around 15 to 20 years from HPV infection to the development of cervical cancer in people with a normal immune system.

Genital warts are caused by ‘low-risk’ HPV types, which are very common but do not cause cervical cancer. Your cervical screening test looks for ‘high-risk’ HPV types which do not cause genital warts.

This does not mean that you will not get genital warts, but these are not linked to your cervical screening result.

Before we started testing all cervical screening samples for HPV, we did advise people who had had treatment for cell changes that they would need annual screening for up to 10 years.

We know that certain types of HPV cause 99.8% of cervical cancers, and we are testing for these types. If these HPV types are not found in your sample, your risk of developing any cell changes is extremely low. This means that you do not need to keep having cervical screening tests every year.

HPV is a very common virus that most people will come into contact with at some point in their lives.