hpv

Not all HPV causes cervical cancer. In most cases, HPV goes away on its own and does not cause any serious health issues. But if it goes unnoticed, HPV can cause serious health problems like cervical cancer or genital warts. Around 70% of cervical cancer is caused by HPV 16 & 18. After the person gets infected with HPV, it takes years or even decades to develop cancer. People who are immunocompromised (including HIV/AIDS patients) may be less able to fight off HPV. They are at risk of developing serious health problems when infected with HPV.

No, not all strains of HPV cause cervical cancer. There are mainly 14 types of HPV (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68) that are responsible for causing cervical cancer. There are three more HPV (26, 53, 82) that can possibly cause cervical cancer though the clinical evidence is very little. About 70% of cervical cancer is caused by HPV 16 & 18 alone.

A uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the lining of cervix, located in the lower part of womb.It is caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) present in the linings of cervix and delay in detection results into cervical cancer

Most of the women do not experience any symptoms when they are in the precancerous stage. However, as the cancer progresses, the symptoms will begin to appear. The most common symptoms that are associated with cervical cancer are depicted below:

• Light bleeding or spotting during or following periods
• Longer and heavier menstrual bleeding than usual
• Bleeding after intercourse or pelvic examination
• Increase in vaginal discharge
• Painful sexual intercourse
• Unexplained pelvic or back pain
• Bleeding after menopause

These symptoms can relate to other conditions as well and hence, it becomes important to get in touch with your clinician to rule out the exact cause of concern and discuss the way forward. If the precancerous cells/cancer is found or treated early then there are higher chances of preventing or treating cancer.

Yes, most of the time HPV infection is symptomless, however, some low-risk strains cause genital warts. Our test covers high-risk HPV. As per WHO, all women above 30 years should undergo HPV test once every 5 years.

In case you or your family had a history of HPV infections, we recommend you consult your doctor as this home test might not be the ideal choice for you. It is better to go for regular screening follow-ups in person with your doctor in order to ensure there is no recurrence.

LifeCell HPV at-home test kit covers major high-risk HPVs such as 16, 18 and 45; and other high- risk HPVs such as 26, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 39,51, 52, 53, 56, 58, 59, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 73, 82, 97 responsible for causing cervical cancer.

Your LifeCell HPV DNA test kit will include:

• Cervical Brush
• Biohazard Bag
• Collection Tube
• Declaration Form
• Hologram Sticker

Pap Smear: In this test, the doctor removes the sample of cells from the cervix. These cells are then observed under the microscope by a pathologist to look for any changes in the cells or for the presence of abnormal cells. The abnormal cervical cells indicate the potential risk of cervical cancer and require regular follow-up and monitoring by a doctor. The PAP test is recommended for all the women aged between 21 to 65 years and should be repeated every 3-5 years.

HPV DNA Test: This test requires a vaginal swab that can be collected at the comfort of your home. This test looks for the genetic material of the high risk HPV that can lead to cervical cancer.

This test is recommended for all the sexually active women aged between 30-65 years and should be repeated every 5-10 years. In case high-risk HPV is detected then usually PAP test is recommended to check for the cervical cell changes and based on the results, colposcopy or biopsy may be recommended by your clinician and accordingly a treatment plan will be created.

As per WHO recommendations HPV DNA screen test for high-risk HPV types starting at the age of 30 years with regular screening in every 5 to 10 years for the general population of women

And for women living with HIV, screening tests start at the age of 25 years with regular screening every 3 to 5 years.

HPV DNA screening utilizes PCR Technology i.e polymerase chain reaction, a standard and noninvasive method to detect the presence of Human Papillomavirus in the cervix and reports results with >99% accuracy.

LifeCell has received accreditations from national & international organizations including CAP & NABL. We adhere to the highest standards of testing and calibration to ensure accurate & high-quality reporting.

LifeCell’s NABL and CAP-certified state-of-the-art labs follow strict medical privacy policies and practices shared by the rest of the medical team. With LifeCell, your personal sexual health information is safely and securely stored.

Learn more about our privacy policy here.

No, we recommend you consult or follow up with your doctor for your Pap smear test. The at-home HPV DNA test is not the ideal choice of testing when you are pregnant

Yes, It is recommended that all the vaccinated or unvaccinated women should undergo regular screening because as per recent studies, HPV vaccine does not protect against all HPV types that can lead to cervical cancer.

We recommend waiting for at least 2 days before your period ends. This is to ensure accurate and timely results. Because the lab’s ability to detect HPV in the sample provided may be hampered by the blood

In order to collect your vaginal swab sample, click here to watch the video and collect the sample from the comfort of your home.

After the sample collection, pack the collection tube in a biohazard bag and then place it inside the kit box. You can keep the kit containing the sample at room temperature. You can then login to your dashboard and schedule at-home sample pick-up. You can arrange a same-day pick-up (Monday- Saturday) before 11:00 AM.

Since weekend shipping is not operated by our logistics partner, the sample will take more time to reach us. Hence we suggest that you plan your collection between Monday to Saturday.

When your kit arrives you may not be able to use it right away. Instead, you can place it at room temperature. We recommend leaving your kit somewhere in view so that you're reminded to do it. Also, after collecting your sample, we recommend you to place a request to dispatch your kit and until then you can place your kit at room temperature.

Yes, LifeCell provides you the option of sample pick-up. Login to your dashboard and schedule at-home sample pick-up You can arrange a same-day pick-up (Monday- Saturday) before 11:00 AM

You will receive your HPV test report within 2-4 working days after the sample reaches the lab.

You can access your HPV test report anytime, anywhere through your personalized dashboard once the results are available. You can also download and print your report anytime in the future by logging in to your dashboard using your login credentials.

You will be notified via email once your sample is processed and a comprehensive report will be made available online which you can access by logging into your dashboard.

Your HPV DNA Test report will give you insights into your sexual health - whether you are infected with HPV or not. Also, it will give you insights into whether you are infected with major high-risk HPV or other high - risk HPVs.

LifeCell’s HPV DNA test screens for 3 Major high-risk HPV that are responsible for causing cervical cancer. This test especially covers HPV 16,18 & 45, which are responsible for 77% of cervical cancer in India. It also screens for 21 other high-risk HPVs that can leads to cervical cancer

Positive result: Positive results indicate presence of an infection with the high-risk type of HPV. High-risk HPV can lead to cervical cancer. This does not mean that you have cervical cancer at present but this could be a warning sign. It also provides information on the specific genotype responsible for causing HPV infection

Negative result: Although negative results indicate there is no evidence of an active HPV infection at the time of test and the future risk is very low, it is highly recommended to get tested every 3-5 years.

No, a positive result does not mean that you are diagnosed with cervical cancer. This means that you are at high risk of developing cervical cancer which should be monitored.

If found positive:Here are some of recommendations that might help you :

• Speak to our Health Expert: Get in touch with our inhouse Health Expert who will guide you further and may recommend follow-up tests in a year to check the infection status.
• PAP Test: To check for the cervical cells changes when HPV DNA test is positive as recommended by the clinician.
• Colposcopy: If HPV DNA and PAP test are abnormal then it is recommended to go for colposcopy where Clinicians will examine the cervix more closely with the help of a special magnifying lens.
• Biopsy: Colposcopy is usually followed by Biopsy where clinicians will remove and examine the cervical cells more closely under a microscope for signs of disease.

You can book the consultation via your dashboard. Or you can call us at 1800 266 5533 / you may also request a call back on our website (link) or email us at contactus@lifecell.in with questions.