HPV Testing
Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by long-lasting infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Testing for HPV is recommended as part of cervical cancer screening. Screening tests for HPV are used to check for the virus in people who have no symptoms.
How are HPV tests and Pap tests different?
An HPV test is different from a Pap test, the other test that can be used to screen for cervical cancer.
What they test for
- An HPV test looks for cervical HPV infection. It detects high-risk types of HPV that are more likely to cause precancers and cancers of the cervix. But an HPV test cannot detect precancer or cancer itself.
- A Pap test is used to find cell changes or abnormal cells in the cervix. A Pap test cannot detect HPV.
How the samples are collected for testing
- The sample for a Pap test is collected from the cervix during a speculum exam.
- The sample for an HPV test can also be collected during a speculum exam. This is the preferred way to screen for cervical cancer.
- Another option for HPV testing is for a person to use a kit to collect a vaginal sample themselves, either at home or while being supervised by a health care provider. This is called self-collection, and it doesn’t require a pelvic exam.
- An HPV test can be done either by itself (primary HPV testing) or at the same time as the Pap test (co-testing).
What happens if a test result is positive (abnormal)
- If a Pap test is done by itself and the result is positive (abnormal), the same sample can be used to test for HPV.
- If an HPV test is collected by a health care provider and the result is positive (abnormal), the same sample can then be used to test for cell changes or abnormal cells.
- If a self-collected HPV test result is positive, you will need to see your health care provider again for a speculum exam to collect cervical cells for further tests or follow-up procedures.
If test results show you might have cervical cancer or precancer, further tests or procedures will be needed.
What is mRNA E6/E7 detection?
E6 and E7 are proteins found on high-risk types of HPV viruses. Some HPV tests work by checking a sample for mRNA E6/E7, the instructions the virus uses to create these proteins.
If the results of an HPV test say that mRNA E6/E7 was detected, it means the test is positive for HPV.
Not all HPV tests look for these proteins. Some tests work by looking for the DNA of specific types of high-risk HPVs.
What does the American Cancer Society recommend about HPV tests for cervical cancer screening?
The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that women and other individuals with a cervix who are at average risk of cervical cancer should start screening at age 25 and continue until at least age 65.
Screening should be done every 3 to 5 years, depending on the test:
- The preferred option is a primary HPV test done on a sample collected from your cervix by a health care provider. This should be done every 5 years.
- A primary HPV test done on a self-collected sample from your vagina is another option.* A health care provider still needs to order the test, and it should be done every 3 years.
- A co-test (HPV test combined with a Pap test) is an option every 5 years.
- If HPV tests are not available, a Pap test every 3 years is still an option.
*Self-collection should only be done using tests and collection devices approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These are only available through your health care provider. Learn more in In-clinic and At-home HPV Self-collection Test.
Getting screened regularly is the most important thing, no matter which test you get.
Who should get screened?
You are at average risk for cervical cancer and should be screened if you have a cervix, you don’t have symptoms that could be related to cervical cancer, and you’ve never had an abnormal cervical cancer screening test (or if you did, your results have been normal for many years).
You should be screened even if:
- You’ve received the HPV vaccine.
- You’re in a long-term relationship with the same partner, have stopped having children, do not have sex with men, or are not sexually active.
- You’re in menopause.
People at higher risk of cervical cancer might need a different screening plan, such as being screened more often.
When can screening be stopped?
You can stop screening at age 65 if one of the following applies to you:
- You’ve had HPV testing collected by a provider or co-testing (using HPV and Pap tests) every 5 years and your last 2 tests were normal.
- You’ve had self-collected HPV testing every 3 years and your last 2 tests were normal.
- You’ve had Pap tests every 3 years and your last 3 Pap tests were normal.
People with limited life expectancy can stop screening for cervical cancer at any time.
To learn more, see the American Cancer Society Guideline for Cervical Cancer Screening.
What about testing for HPV in other parts of the body?
The FDA has only approved tests to find HPV in the cervix.
Research is still being done on HPV tests for other parts of the body. For example:
- There are commercially available oral HPV tests that are not yet FDA-approved or included in screening guidelines. However, some dentists use them.
- Doctors often recommend that high-risk men and some high-risk women get anal HPV testing.
- Research is being done on options for male genital testing for HPV.
There’s no useful test to find out a person’s “HPV status” because HPV can infect different parts of the body, and an HPV test result can change over a period of months or years.
- Written by
- References
The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as editors and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
American Cancer Society. Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts & Figures 2023- 2024. American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA. 2023.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Human Papillomavirus (HPV). 2023. Accessed at https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/ on February 13, 2024.
Fontham, ETH, Wolf, AMD, Church, TR, et al. Cervical Cancer Screening for Individuals at Average Risk: 2020 Guideline Update from the American Cancer Society. CA Cancer J Clin. 2020. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21628.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). HPV (human papillomavirus). Accessed at https://www.fda.gov/consumers/womens-health-topics/hpv-human-papillomavirus on February 13, 2024.
National Cancer Institute. HPV and Cancer. 2023. Accessed at https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/infectious-agents/hpv-and-cancer on February 13, 2024.
Saslow D, Andrews KS, Manassaram-Baptiste D, et al. Human papillomavirus vaccination 2020 guideline update: American Cancer Society guideline adaptation. CA Cancer J Clin. 2020; DOI: 10.3322/caac.21616.
Last Revised: December 4, 2025
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