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A member asked:
Is it common for hpv to lie dormant, but then resurface a few years later and this pattern repeat? if so, wouldnt it keep being missed on smear tests? asking for my wife?
3 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Yes, this is quite frequent. However, reactivation of HPV (e.g. with an abnormal Pap smear) is increasingly rare after age 50 or thereabouts, and Pap smears usually are no longer recommended. Your wife is very unlikely to ever have cervical cancer or any other adverse effect from HPV. If your wife remains concerned, she should discuss this with her gynecologist.
Answered 4/23/2023
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Yes this can happen- but not too often. Both the virus and the immune system which keeps it in check are unpredictable
Answered 4/24/2023
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