Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), Cancer, and HPV Vaccines : Frequently Asked Questions
TOPICS
- Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
- What is HPV?
- How do you get genital HPV?
- How common is HPV? Who gets it?
- What are the symptoms of HPV?
- Can HPV be treated?
- Can HPV be prevented?
- What are the risk factors for genital HPV?
- HPV and cancer
- What about other HPV-related diseases?
- Testing for HPV
- If you test positive for HPV, what does it mean?
- Will HPV affect my pregnancy or my baby?
- Why should women over age 30 with normal test results change to co-testing every 5 years and start doing HPV testing? Is that safe?
- HPV vaccines
- Who should be vaccinated and when?
- What are the benefits of the vaccines?
- How much do the HPV vaccines cost? Are they covered by health insurance plans?
- Do you need to be tested for HPV before getting the vaccine?
- Do women and girls who have been vaccinated still need Pap tests?
- Can cervical cancer be prevented without a vaccine?
- Is the American Cancer Society in favor of vaccinating against HPV?
- Do you want more information?
- References
Do you need to be tested for HPV before getting the vaccine?
No. Testing is not needed and it’s not recommended. A positive HPV test result doesn’t tell you which types of HPV are present. And even after infection with one type of HPV, the vaccine could still prevent other types of HPV infection. A negative test cannot tell you if you’ve had HPV in the past but no longer have it.
Last Medical Review: 05/02/2013
Last Revised: 05/02/2013