HPV testing in many cases involves nothing more strenuous
than a visual examination by your physician. This is due to the fact that most of the time an HPV infection would have made its presence known by
displaying signs and symptoms such as that of genital warts, or pink or flesh colored lesions.
If a visual examination yields no results then your physician will move on to the next step in HPV testing which
involves the usage of acetic acid. The physician will daub some acetic acid (that’s vinegar to you and I), on the suspected area.
If there are any warts in the region they will turn up as white patches against the skin. If this doesn’t work, sometimes a
swab of the area will be taken and sent for HPV testing.
Other HPV testing methods includes that of a cervical smear test. In this test a speculum is placed into the vagina, where it
will be used to open the vagina. A swab of cell samples is then taken of the vaginal walls and sent in for testing.
If a woman has genital HPV it is then recommended that she come in for regular cervical smear tests about every three
months. This added precaution of frequent HPV testing is undertaken until there is an improvement in the condition.
This sort of regular HPV testing needs to be carried out as genital HPV, if left untreated, can lead to abnormal cell
development on the walls of the cervix which in turn can lead to cancer of the cervix.
Colposcopy Is Often Used For HPV Testing
Another HPV testing method is that of colposcopy. In this method, the walls of the vagina and the cervix are “painted” with a
vinegar solution. The vagina is then viewed through an instrument called a colposcope to detect any abnormalities.
If at this time a difference in shading is detected, a specially prepared dye is then applied in a small patch to the affected
area. If there are areas on the cervix or the vaginal walls which don’t take on the dye, a small cell sample is then taken for further
testing.
To obtain the maximum results from your HPV testing there are few things that you can do, or not do, as the case may be.
These include, not douching as this can wash away any necessary evidence of HPV, not using any vaginal medications or herbal
suppositories, and not using a tampon. You might also want to avoid going in for HPV testing if you have menstrual bleeding.
These can all of them to a great degree interfere with your HPV testing, and yield improper results. In some cases you might
even need to carry out the examination again.
If a woman has genital HPV it is then recommended that she come in for regular cervical smear tests about every three
months. This added precaution of frequent HPV testing is undertaken until there is an improvement in the condition.