I’m reaching out to the sub because I’m sure there are other women here who missed the Gardasil vaccine and have ended up with HPV :’(
I have had low grade and high grade infection for nearly 7 years now. A few years ago, I had a LEEP procedure done, and finally a follow up came back clear. But then 6 months ago they found low grade abnormalities again. I go for a follow up pap and likely biopsy next month.
While I’m glad I’m being followed and know I’m “okay”, mentally this is really affecting me. I can’t seem to get answers as to why the infection won’t go away even after surgery, and I’m a pretty healthy individual. I really don’t want to go through another LEEP but may not have a choice.
They have recommended the Gardasil vaccine but it’s quite expensive. I’m just wondering if anyone’s gotten the vaccine after an abnormal result and did it help clear the infection?
Also, any suggestions on advocating for myself?
Thank you!
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I’m on year four of showing abnormal cells and they won’t do anything about it other than a shrug and see you next year.
The quiet rage I feel about them not doing the vaccines for all young girls back in the day is unreal (I was out with the catch up programme by two months). I’m tired of worrying.
I had abnormal cells and had a LEEP done. Got the shot while waiting for surgery and things have been good since, been two or three years now. Are you sure you have to pay? I feel like insurance covered mine. I’d say it’s worth it or maybe talk to your doc about what else can be done
For those reading this post that are below the age of 45
I learned late last year that the upper age for the Guardasil HPV vaccine has been increased to 45. (It used to be 26)
I started the series recently. For adults, it’s a 3 vaccine series over the course of 6 months. It’s definitely worth getting if you haven’t already.
If you are in the U.S., I’d recommend starting the series soon. I get a little worried that our anti-vax administration is going to start getting weird about vaccines.
FWIW my daughter contracted the virus that causes warts on your feet which is a form of HPV. She had them so bad! She couldn’t walk. We had them removed multiple times. They kept coming back. It was awful. Her dermatologist recommended we get her gardasil even though she was only 9 at the time and it wasn’t on her pediatrician’s schedule for several more years. They thought it might help her feet even though plantar’s warts aren’t caused by the specific strains gardasil is designed to protect against. Within weeks of getting her first shot, her feet cleared up, and we haven’t had a single reoccurrence since. And she’s 15 now.
Following. I’ve had the same diagnosis (high risk strain) for years. Cell abnormalities about 6 years ago, fortunately hasn’t come back but the hpv still hasn’t cleared my system. I’ve read it typically clears in a couple years… I’m fit and healthy so I don’t know why mine hasn’t. I wonder what it means for me as I get older with a lower immune system. I got thr vaccine after I was diagnosed. Not sure what that did for me since I’ve been with the same partner for years.
In my country the vaccine is recommended even in “older age” (just meaning past the time you would usually get it as a teen) after you have HPV positive cancer. The reasoning for that recommendation is not because it helps with your positive result but to decrease the cancer risk (since cancer survivors have an increased risk).
I personally have not gotten it after an infection but just recently at 35/36, I was always annoyed that I didn’t get it before because of complicated reasons. I asked my doctor if we should wait for a negative result on my exam, but she said there’s no reason to wait, it’s always good to do the vaccine.
My Mexican gyno recommended the vaccine to me and my husband. I was also under the impression it was only for younger women but she told me it wasn’t. My American gyno told me the only way to avoid HPV was to stay with the same partner for over a year.
I had a LEEP and while they ‘numbed’ the area, I felt it and didn’t want to move for a day. I’m not sure how effective the vaccine is since I had to stop my shots due to being pregnant, but any chance to avoid another LEEP is worth it for me.
Get the vaccine, it’s a schedule of two and will prevent further infections which could lead to cancer.
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Go to planned parenthood they have sliding scale payment options and they have gardasil
I took the Gardasil series when it first came out when I was a teen, but I’ve been dealing with HPV for a few years now. I retook the vaccine series about a year ago because my doctor and gyno thought it would be a good idea. I’ve had two LEEPs done and go for another Pap smear in June that I hope is finally normal.
I feel you on it affecting you mentally. I expected it to clear up after my first LEEP, and now I’m anxiously waiting to see if it has cleared up after my second. It’s like why hasn’t this cleared up yet? What am I going to do if it doesn’t?
I got the gardasil shots and still have HPV. Also know there are over 200 strains of HPV. The shots only protect against some of them not all of them.
I opted to get the vaccine (I’m 36F) and so did my husband at my doctor’s recommendation. My LEEP was last summer and my pap after was normal. Hoping for continued normal paps! Does your work insurance cover it? Both mine and my husband’s did.
It’s so crappy women have to deal with this and many men don’t even know they have it!
I’m sorry OP! I did elementary in Ontario from 97 to 2001, and I think I just missed Gardasil etc. Private insurance may cover the shots, but OHIP definitely won’t cover Gardasil. Hopefully you can find a solution, but I can imagine how scary it is for you 😣😞
I was not of age for Gardasil, Went through the biopsy/LEEP/clean pap cycle over and over. Eventually got a hysterectomy. My cuff tested positive for HPV. I was told that there is nothing that can be done, but it can’t be cancerous anymore. Sigh.
Good luck!
I had the vaccine after a positive HPV test and it did not come back after.
However. I took AHCC. It’s a mushroom supplement that has shown promise to clear HPV. I believe it may be in phase II trials in the US.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9256908/
https://hpvca.org/ahcc-shown-to-clear-hpv-infections/
You can google it and there is quite a bit of info.
Sorry you’ve been going through this, I’d actually recommend posting this on the ask docs Reddit.
I’ve had on and off bad paps for the last almost 15 years since my leep. But each time they do a biopsy and it comes back fine. This last one was my first normal pap in years. I did get the vaccine a couple years ago.
Get the vaccine. I was fortunate that it was offered to me as a child but it wasn’t to my older sister and she has just finished chemo/radio/brachy for stage III cervical cancer.
I’m surprised Gardasil isn’t covered, you’d think they’d rather pay for that than another colposcopy and a LEEP. I didn’t enjoy mine either and I’m sorry to hear you might have to get another one!
I had two of three Gardasil shots and I still got HPV, just not the two strains that are most likely to cause cervical cancer. Pre-cancer anyway 🙁
I got the vaccine after my LEEP. My results have been normal ever since.
I had a LEEP 15 years ago and never had a recurrence of precancerous cells. Just wanted to throw that out there in case it’s a comfort to you.
I had the vaccine and still ended up with HPV. I had to have colposcopy and cryotherapy about 6 years ago. Now I’m hearing about the risk of throat cancers so I’m worried about my partner and him passing it back to me in this way. I’m sorry I have no helpful advice, just wanted to commiserate
I never had the Gardasil vaccine and don’t have HPV, they tested me at my latest smear and it was neg.
When I was 16 or so I had repeated bad paps with dysplasia. I had a LEEP procedure and also got the Gardasil series after the LEEP. I am now 40 and haven’t had a bad pap since. I am not saying that the vaccine helped me clear the virus, but at worst it protected me from any new strains.
After multiple years of yearly abnormal results and colposcopies, my body has finally gotten rid of the HPV strain I had. I tested negative for HPV at my last PAP last month and they said the next one will be in 5 years.
I was told that it could take longer for your body to do its thing if you’re older and depending on your body. I am currently 41, was mid-late 30s when diagnosed with cancer-causing strains other.
Primrose oil capsules. I took them for about 3 months after diagnosis and then had a completely clear test after. Another friend of mine also got it and she also took the primrose oil, worked for her too! Worth a shot.
Do you have a male partner, and if so, are you using condoms?
Doctors don’t say this as part of standard treatment, but there is a little bit of evidence that if you are not currently using condoms, using them can help with regression:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14566832/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3441681/
It’s not a lot of evidence, but if you do have a male partner and are frustrated, it might not hurt to try. My abnormalities went away after a year of using condoms again. It makes logical sense to me that not constantly re-exposing yourself via partner would be beneficial.
I got the vaccine at 16 or 17.
When I was 26 I had my first abnormal PAP smear. Had another test done: pre-Stage cancer. Had a cone at 27. Received another shot of the vaccine after that.
3 years later another abnormal PAP smear. Had a leep procedure. Unfortunately barley any cervix left so as soon as the next PAP comes back abnormal I will need to have a hysterectomy.
My oncologist said I’m a rare case. Usually once a cone or leep has been done the smears stay good. So I’m really hoping for you all goes well and you stay healthy 🙏
Get it. I got it in my mid 20s. my mother has had a cervical cancer scare and I know one person my age who died too young from hpv related cancer. Two kids and she was in her early30s. My brother in law had mouth cancer which was a form of hpv. I’m the age where the vaccine came out in my 20s so it was not super common but I’ve known too many people with hpv related cancer. I’m glad I got the hpv vaccine and I highly suggest you protect yourself and do the same. hpv is serious and this is something you can do to protect yourself.
I got the Gardasil series when it first came out, had an abnormal pap + high grade colposcopy a few years later, and needed a LEEP.
Was clear for 5-6 years, then the high-risk HPV came back along with recurring LSIL paps. I eventually opted for a second LEEP and got unlucky that that one was too close to a blood vessel and turned into a right mess.
There’s no harm in getting the vaccine (and presumably it will prevent you from contracting other forms of HPV), but I’ve never heard of it as a treatment in itself.
Gardasil is worth it, vaccines are worth it. Also AHCC for anyone else reading this, it is expensive so I don’t think it’s for OP, but anyone else looking for answers.
In my twenties, I contracted HPV, but I had not yet received my Gardasil vaccinations. I received the procedure to remove the warts. My test results eventually returned to normal. Fortunately, my benefits at the time covered the cost of my Gardasil injections, so I went ahead and got them, and I haven’t experienced any problems since.