HPV testing of asymptomatic patients is called HPV-screening. If we ask for an HPV test from a sample taken from a patient suffering from an HPV-related disease (genital wart, anal wart, conditions preceding cervical cancer, oral cavity cancer, etc.), HPV-diagnostics is performed.
HPV-screening to prevent cervical cancer
HPV-screening is an essential and highly useful tool of cervical cancer screening, which indicates the risk of cervical cancer much earlier and more accurately than the cytological (cell-smear based) examination would in itself. In certain countries, the cell-smear based screening was replaced years ago by HPV-based screening, but in our country, it has not yet been incorporated into the official cervical cancer screening protocol. Despite this, since every professional reasoning underlines the fact that HPV-screening should be a part of modern cervical cancer screening, in Hungarian practice, many places offer patients this option as a charged examination.
In what other cases is HPV-screening recommended?
HPV-screening can be done from other surfaces of the skin-mucous membrane. We can take a scraping sample from the vulva, the penis, the anus, or the oral cavity for HPV-testing and standardization. Such an examination usually takes place if we want to know whether the asymptomatic sexual partner of a patient suffering from an HPV-related disease is also infected with the HPV virus.
