The HPV Test for Cervical Cancer Screening

The simple versionExplain▾

The HPV test checks a sample from the cervix for high-risk types of the human papillomavirus — the virus behind most cervical cancers. Instead of looking at whether the cells appear abnormal (which is what a Pap test does), the HPV test looks for the virus that usually causes those changes in the first place.

Finding high-risk HPV early tells your care team who may need closer monitoring, often years before any cancer could develop.

The HPV test finds the virus that causes most cervical cancers, so problems can be caught very early.

How the sample is takenExplain▾

The HPV test uses the same kind of cervical sample as a Pap test. During a pelvic exam:

• The doctor uses a smooth instrument called a speculum to see the cervix
• A few cells are gently collected from the cervix
• The sample goes to a lab, where it's checked for high-risk HPV

No special preparation is needed for an HPV test. If it is done together with a Pap test, one sample can often serve both.

Two ways it's usedExplain▾

There are two main ways the HPV test is used in screening, and both are recommended options depending on your age:

• Primary HPV testing. The HPV test is used on its own as the screening test. If your result is negative, your doctor may tell you that you can wait about five years until your next screening.
• Co-testing. The HPV test is done together with a Pap test at the same visit. If both results are normal, your next screening may again be about five years away.

Your care team can help you decide which approach fits your age and history.

Primary HPV testing and co-testing are both recommended options — the difference is whether a Pap test is done alongside.

What a positive result meansExplain▾

A positive HPV test means a high-risk type of the virus was found. This is common, and it is important to understand what it does — and does not — mean:

• It does not mean you have cancer now
• It does mean your doctor will recommend follow-up steps

Those steps depend on your specific result and your screening history. Sometimes the specific HPV type is identified to help decide what to do next. In many cases, the follow-up is simply closer monitoring.

A positive HPV test is a reason to follow up closely — not a cancer diagnosis.

When HPV comes back after negative testsExplain▾

Occasionally someone has a positive HPV test after several negative ones. This is not necessarily a sign of a brand-new infection. An earlier HPV infection can sometimes become active again after many years — much the way the chickenpox virus can reactivate later in life as shingles.

Researchers are still learning about how a reactivated infection compares with a new one. Either way, your doctor will guide you on the right follow-up.

HPV testing and the HPV vaccineExplain▾

The HPV test and the HPV vaccine work together but do different jobs. The vaccine helps prevent infection with the high-risk HPV types before exposure, while screening detects the virus or its effects if they are already present.

Even people who have had the HPV vaccine still need cervical cancer screening, because the vaccine does not protect against every type of HPV. Screening and vaccination together offer the strongest protection.

Even if you've had the HPV vaccine, you still need regular cervical cancer screening.

Cost and accessExplain▾

Cervical cancer screening, including HPV testing, is preventive care that many health plans are required to help cover. If cost is a concern, the CDC's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program offers free or low-cost screening to people who qualify. Your care team or local health department can tell you whether you're eligible.

It can take up to a few weeks to get your results back after testing. If something looks unusual, your care team will reach out and explain the next steps. Remember that most unusual results are not cancer, and that regular screening on the schedule your doctor recommends is what makes HPV testing so effective at preventing cervical cancer.

Screening is widely covered, and low-cost options exist — staying on schedule is what protects you.