Oak Ridge, TN
A 37-year-old female asked about a 36-year-old member:

I was sexually assaulted in 2012. ive not had pap smear since than but have attempted one. how likely would it be to have cervical cancer? i read hpv usually causes no harm and most dont get cancer. im going schedule a pap smear again and try it

2 doctor answers2 doctors weighed in
Dr. James Ferguson
Pediatrics 48 years experience
Some basics: In the pre-vaccine era as many as 70% of college age women were test positive for some prior HPV infection. We have done paps for decades to screen for cervical cancer before the link to 7 or more HPV strains was discovered. A person with prior risk strain exposure can go years/decades before cancer develops if ever, but it is a deadly risk. Non HPV cervical cancer is also possible.Get tested.
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Dr. Gurmukh Singh
Pathology 51 years experience
Agree with Dr. F: Get PAP smear done. It is not too late to get HPV vaccine. Have a healthy diet, exercise 30 minutes/day, drink plenty of water, have safe sex, no tobacco alcohol weed or street drugs. For nutrition: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/. Wish you good health!
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Related questions

A 46-year-old female asked:
How likely is cervical cancer with normal paps 3 years in a row but hpv positive neg 16/18 ? Can it be missed in Pap smears?
Dr. Hunter Handsfield
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Very low risk. Don't worry about it.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 37-year-old female asked about a 36-year-old member:
Can cervical cancer cause pain in back of knee? Its been swollen in back of knee too. My doctor and ortho thinks it more likely a strain and I dont go back until after Thanksgiving. I know the importance of Pap smears and scheduling one. Thank u
Dr. Ralph Boling
Obstetrics and Gynecology 41 years experience
Very, very, unlikely: to be related to a cervical issue. If your pap smears are normal, you should be very safe. The knee problem is unrelated.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 38-year-old female asked:
Normal Pap smear last year, negative HPV . Had one month of mid cycle spotting for 2 days . Chance of cervicle cancer now only 1 year later?
Dr. Hunter Handsfield
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
HPV is the only cause of cervical cancer, and a negative test a year earlier makes cancer exceedingly unlikely. And there are many common causes of mi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
View all answers
A 41-year-old female asked:
I'm 41 year old and recently had my pap smear. The pap smear came back negative but shows postive for, "HPV 18". Do I have cervical cancer? Can the HPV be cured?
Dr. Mark Owolabi
Family Medicine 8 years experience
The presence of HPV does not indicate cancer. HPV is a virus that many people have. Occasionally it is cleared by the body. HPV has the potential to c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
View all answers
A 31-year-old female asked:
So I've had a low grade pap smear result and have recently had twins so I've would know if i had HPV what's the chances I have cervical cancer?
Dr. Robert Killian
General Practice 30 years experience
Pap Smear: It is very low. You have "low grade' that means stage one out of five. Five is cancer. Your physician will next do a colposcopy and work to remove o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Last updated Feb 4, 2021

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