Being HPV negative means a woman likely does not have the virus, but it doesn’t guarantee no risk of cervical cancer. The accuracy of the HPV test is high, and follow-up care is important. Even with a negative result, periodic testing is necessary, especially for sexually active individuals.
The term “HPV negative” means that a female likely does not have the human papillomavirus virus, which can cause cervical cancer in some women. While being HPV negative is a good thing, it doesn’t necessarily mean a woman has no risk of cervical cancer because there are other causes as well. The HPV test is different from the Pap test, although it is possible that the samples collected during the Pap test can be used to determine whether someone is HPV negative or positive, thus making it very convenient for the patient.
Unlike a Pap smear, which returns a normal, abnormal, or inconclusive result, an HPV test usually comes back positive or negative. If the Pap smear comes back abnormal, but the other test returns a negative HPV result, further study by a gynecologist may be needed. In such cases, the most important issue is to determine why one test shows a normal or negative result and the other shows an abnormal result. Seemingly contradictory results don’t mean the virus is present, but it might be.
The accuracy of the HPV test is very high, especially when combined with a normal Pap result. Those who test negative for HPV can be almost completely sure they do not have the virus. In fact, the accuracy of both tests together is over 99.9 percent. If the results are contradictory, the confidence factor may decrease slightly. That’s why follow-up care is so important.
To obtain a negative HPV test, the cells tested must have no traces of HPV DNA. Generally, this DNA will be present in sufficient quantities to be detected on examination. That’s why the accuracy of the test is so high. Even if HPV is found to be present, it does not mean that a woman will get cervical cancer; it just increases the risks.
Even with a negative HPV test, it’s important to get tested periodically to ensure that problems don’t show up later. The most common risk factor for HPV is being sexually active, especially with multiple partners, which increases your risk. Therefore, those who initially test negative for HPV should not assume they will remain so for life. Staying negative often depends on partner selection and the use of protection during sexual activities.
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