HPV test largely unnecessary, doctors advise
August 5th, 2010 by Wendi Lewis
Recently a young woman posed a question to the “Ask the Expert” section on the Healthy Women (HW) website. The site is the nation’s leading independent health information source for women, providing information and answers about women’s personal health care questions for more than 20 years. The 32-year-old woman said she asked her health care provider about an HPV test, but the doctor told her she doesn’t need it, and she wondered why. HPV stands for human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer. Isn’t all preventive testing a good thing, she wondered? The answer may surprise you.
The question was medically reviewed by Marie Savard, MD. She said that while many professional organizations, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Cancer Society recommend that women who are older than 30 receive an HPV test, the recommendation says the test should be done in conjunction with a regular Pap test.
“Studies find that the combination of a Pap test and HPV test is the most effective way to find cervical disease and cancer, better than using a Pap alone,” the answer reads. But, they quickly point out, just because a woman receives a positive HPV test, indicating the presence of an HPV, doesn’t mean she will get cancer. “Almost all women clear the virus with the help of their immune systems,” the article says. The presence of HPV only means that a woman’s doctor may want to monitor her more closely for any cell changes that may result from the HPV infection. Regular Pap tests will identify these cells, which can then be safely treated.
This answer may come as a surprise to many women who have been inundated with television ads and other marketing materials touting the benefits of an HPV preventive vaccine, Gardasil, manufactured by Merck & Co. The ads urge women to have the vaccine, or parents to vaccinate their daughters, ensuring they will be “one less” case of cervical cancer. However, the Gardasil vaccine actually only protects against four of nearly 40 types of HPV. While one of these types may lead to the development of cervical cancer, generally, as Dr. Savard pointed out, the body’s own immune system will clear most types of HPV before they cause a problem, and regular Pap tests can detect irregular cells for effective treatment before any cervical cancer develops.
Additionally, since its introduction in 2006, Gardasil has been associated with a number of adverse event reports, including incidents of paralysis and the development of lupus. There also have been more than 50 reports of deaths linked to young women who received Gardasil.
The medical advice on the Healthy Women website goes on to say that women younger than 30 don’t need HPV tests at all, unless their Pap test indicates a reason why it might be necessary, or is inconclusive, in which case the HPV test can be given as an extra measure of precaution. “Most young women will have an active infection at some point,” the article says, “but the infection will clear up on its own without problems.”
How about “one less” useless and potentially dangerous drug?