What Does a Positive HPV Test Mean?
Quick answer
A positive HPV test means DNA from a high-risk type of HPV was found in your sample. It does not mean you have precancer or cancer, and it doesn't mean you will get cancer. It does mean you have an HPV infection, which raises your future risk, so your clinician will use your age, past results and other health factors to decide whether you need a closer look (colposcopy) or more frequent testing.
A positive HPV result usually arrives as a letter or portal message with very little explanation, which makes it easy to fear the worst. The short version: it is a common finding, and it is a prompt for follow-up rather than a diagnosis of cancer.
What does a positive HPV test mean?
The HPV test used in cervical screening looks for DNA from high-risk HPV types in cells taken from the cervix. A positive result means that DNA was found, according to MedlinePlus.
Here is what it does and doesn’t tell you:
- It does mean you have an HPV infection of a type that can lead to cervical cell changes over time.
- It doesn’t mean you have precancer or cancer, or that you will get cancer.
- It doesn’t tell you when or from whom you got it. HPV often has no symptoms, and the CDC notes it is hard to know when you first got it.
Is a positive HPV test serious?
It deserves follow-up, but it isn’t an emergency. The CDC describes a positive result as meaning you have an HPV type that may be linked to cervical cancer. It does not mean you have cervical cancer now, but it could be a warning. The specific HPV type may be identified to decide the next step.
Most HPV infections go away on their own. The CDC says that in most cases (9 out of 10), HPV clears within two years without health problems. The ones that last are the reason for follow-up. MedlinePlus explains that high-risk infections can stay at the cervix for many years and cause cell changes called precancer. If those changes aren’t found and treated, they can become cancer over time.
What happens after a positive HPV test?
There is no treatment for an HPV infection, so the next steps depend on your risk of developing cervical precancer or cancer. MedlinePlus says your clinician will consider:
- your past test results,
- your age, and
- other health conditions you have or have had.
Depending on that, you may be offered a colposcopy, in which a clinician uses a lighted magnifying device to look at your cervix more closely. Or you may simply be asked to repeat HPV tests or HPV and Pap co-tests more often than usual.
The exact schedule varies, so follow the plan your own clinician gives you. Your clinician will tell you when to have your next test, based on US screening guidelines.
What if I’ve tested positive more than once?
A repeat positive can feel discouraging, but it is the situation follow-up exists for. Infections that persist are the ones that can cause cell changes, which is why you may be monitored more closely or offered a colposcopy. It doesn’t mean treatment has failed, because no treatment for the virus exists. The care is aimed at checking your cervical cells and treating any precancer that is found.
If you have questions about a specific HPV type or a specific test result, ask your clinician to explain it. That conversation is more reliable than anything you will find online.
What does a positive result mean for sex and partners?
The CDC says using condoms the right way every time can lower your chance of getting HPV, but HPV can infect areas a condom doesn’t cover, so they may not fully protect. It also says sex partners tend to share HPV, even when signs such as warts occur in only one or neither partner. If you or a partner have genital warts, the CDC advises stopping sex until the warts are gone. For the wider picture, see can you have sex with HPV.
Will I still need regular screening?
You will still need regular cervical screening. The CDC says the HPV test and the Pap test can help prevent cervical cancer or find it early, and that most of the time minor cell changes go back to normal on their own. More serious changes can turn into cancer if they aren’t removed, which is why finding and treating them is the goal.
To learn what clearing the virus means and what can come back, see our guide on whether HPV can be cured or go away on its own.
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- Severe pelvic pain, or pain with a fever
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When to test
- When you get the resultAsk your clinician which kind of positive it was, whether a Pap test was done at the same time, and what the follow-up plan is. Results can take up to three weeks to arrive.
- At the follow-up your clinician recommendsThis may be a repeat HPV test or Pap test, or a colposcopy, which looks at your cervix in more detail. The timing depends on your age, your past results and your health.
- Before a Pap or co-testFor two days beforehand, avoid sex, douching and vaginal medicines or spermicidal foam. If you had sex or have your period, still go and tell the clinician.
Common questions
Does a positive HPV test mean I have cancer?
No. A positive result means a high-risk type of HPV was found, which can cause cell changes over time. The CDC says it does not mean you have cervical cancer now, but it could be a warning, so follow-up matters.
Does it mean my partner cheated?
No. HPV is very common and often has no symptoms, and you can have it even if you haven't been sexually active or had a new partner for many years. The NHS says a positive result doesn't mean your partner has had sex with someone else.
Why was my HPV test positive but my Pap test normal?
The two tests look for different things. The HPV test looks for the virus, while the Pap test looks for cell changes on the cervix. You can have the virus without cell changes, and your clinician will decide how often to re-check.
Can men or people under 30 get an HPV test?
Not as a routine screening test. The CDC says HPV tests are not recommended to screen men, adolescents, or women under 30, and there is no approved HPV test for the mouth or throat.
Sources
This guide is general information written by a patient advocate using public health sources. It is not a diagnosis. Only a clinician who examines you, or a lab test, can tell you what you have. Read how we write and check our guides.