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HPV testing
in London
A swab test with results in two to five days, and a GP to tell you what the result actually means.
Most people get HPV, and most people clear it
HPV is the commonest sexually transmitted infection there is. The great majority of sexually active adults are exposed to it at some point, and in most cases the immune system clears it within a couple of years without anything ever happening.
That matters, because a positive HPV result frightens people far more than it usually warrants. It is not a diagnosis of cancer, and it is not evidence of recent infidelity, because HPV can sit dormant for years.
What matters is the small number of infections that persist. Certain high-risk types, when they do not clear, can cause cell changes over many years. That is why follow-up rather than panic is the right response to a positive result.
One thing to be clear about: this test does not replace NHS cervical screening. If you are invited for a smear, go. Cervical screening is a properly run programme with follow-up built into it, and a private swab is not a substitute for it.
Is this the right test?
When HPV testing helps, and when it does not
£150 for the test, in addition to the £89 consultation.
Reasons it can be worth doing
Reasons to pause first
If you are not sure this is the test you need, book a consultation and ask. We would rather talk you out of a test than sell you one that will not tell you anything useful.
Genital warts
Warts are a different question
Caused by different types
The types that cause visible warts are generally not the ones associated with cancer risk.
Diagnosed by looking
Genital warts are usually identified by examination. A swab test is not normally how they are found.
Not what screening looks for
Cervical screening looks for the high-risk types. It is not designed to pick up the types that cause warts.
Common and not shameful
Very large numbers of people have them at some point. They are a nuisance, not a catastrophe.
Vaccination helps
The HPV vaccine protects against the commonest high-risk and wart-causing types, and is offered through the NHS schedule.
Not sure what it is?
Plenty of harmless lumps get mistaken for warts. Being examined is the quickest way to stop worrying.
Questions
Things people ask us
Does a positive result mean I will get cancer?
No. HPV is extremely common and the great majority of infections clear on their own within a couple of years without ever causing a problem. Cervical cancer develops from persistent infection with certain high-risk types over many years. A positive result is a reason for follow-up, not for panic.
Does this replace my NHS smear test?
No, and please do not treat it as one. NHS cervical screening is a properly run programme with follow-up and repeat testing built into it, and it is free. If you are invited for a smear, go. This test is for people outside that programme, or who want testing between invitations.
Does it mean my partner has been unfaithful?
No. HPV can remain dormant for years before it is detected, so a positive result says nothing reliable about when the infection was acquired or from whom. This is one of the commonest sources of unnecessary distress around HPV results.
Can men be tested?
We do not test men for HPV routinely, because there is no established routine HPV test for men. If you have a specific concern, book a consultation and the GP will tell you what is actually worth doing rather than selling you a test that cannot answer your question.
Related
Related testing
Ask before you test
A short consultation will tell you whether this is the right test for your situation.