My letter says that I am HPV positive, but my cells were normal, and I will be invited for another screening test in 12 months' time. Could my cells change to cervical cancer before my next test?

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.