Cervical cancer screening via HPV testing is recommended only for women aged 30 and above. For women 25 to 29 years of age, a pap smear is recommended instead. This is because the high rates of HPV detection among women before the age of 30 would lead to further testing and unnecessary interventions, even though in many cases at this age, the body would clear the infection on its own.
There are more than 100 HPV types identified, with Type 16 and 18 being highly associated with cervical cancer.
If you are aged 30 years and above, and have tested positive for HPV Type 16 or 18, you are strongly advised to see a gynaecologist for a colposcopy- a procedure where the cervix is closely examined under magnification to look for areas of abnormality.
On the other hand, if other HPV types are detected, pap smear cytology should be performed. If this is normal, the HPV test can be repeated one year later. If however, abnormal cells are found on the pap smear cytology, this too would warrant a colposcopy.
