HPV, Cervical Cancer & Fertility: What You Need to Know - iRaisingKids

🦠 HPV Basics

What it is: A common sexually transmitted virus (100+ strains).
Risks: 15 high-risk strains can cause cervical cancer; others cause genital warts.
Prevalence: 75% of women contract HPV by age 50 (often without symptoms).

🔬 HPV & Cervical Cancer Connection

HPV Infection → Persistent infection (10% of cases) → Cell changes → Precancerous lesions (1% of cases) → Rarely, cervical cancer.
Early Detection:
- Pap smears (every 3–5 years) catch abnormal cells early.
- HPV co-testing (ages 30+) identifies high-risk strains.

Key Stat: Cervical cancer is preventable with regular screening!

⚠️ Abnormal Pap Results? Don’t Panic!

5–10% of Pap tests show abnormalities (often due to infections or sampling issues).
Next steps:
- Repeat Pap test (if minor changes).
- Colposcopy (if HPV+ or severe changes).

Treatments for Precancerous Cells:

Procedure	What It Does	Recovery	Fertility Impact
LEEP	Removes abnormal cells with electric loop	4–6 weeks	Minimal (≤5% risk of cervical stenosis)
Cone Biopsy	Removes cone-shaped tissue	4–6 weeks	Slightly higher risk (monitor cervix in pregnancy)
Cryotherapy	Freezes abnormal cells	1–2 weeks	Least invasive

🤰 HPV & Fertility/Pregnancy

✔ HPV itself rarely affects fertility.
✔ Treatments (like LEEP) may slightly raise miscarriage/preterm birth risk but are far safer than untreated cancer.
✔ During pregnancy:

Genital warts? Safe for vaginal delivery.
History of LEEP? Ultrasounds may monitor cervical length.

💉 HPV Vaccine (Gardasil 9)

Who should get it:
- Ages 9–26 (all genders).
- Ages 27–45 (FDA-approved; consult your doctor).
Benefits:
- Prevents 70% of cervical cancers + genital warts.
- Even if HPV+, vaccination protects against other strains.
Still need Pap tests: Vaccine doesn’t cover all cancer-causing strains.