Alison’s story

Oh, how many times have I taken it over the past year? Using experience: several times, You can write not a review but an epic about my story of fighting HPV. How many times have I been tested for HPV? Scary to imagine!

Initial Diagnosis and Treatment

So, I’ll start from the beginning. When I moved to Russia for permanent residence, I visited a gynaecologist. She immediately diagnosed me with stage 2-3 cervical dysplasia and tested me for HPV by taking a smear from a known location. At that time, the tests identified two virus types: 16 and 33. The doctor prescribed a course of treatment, which my husband and I completed, and my dysplasia was cauterised. Would you say that the cryodestruction method for dysplasia is ineffective? Yes, but I learned about this much later.

Recurring Issues and New Diagnoses

Four years passed, and again, an oncological examination revealed that I did not even have dysplasia but a precancerous condition. And again, I was sent to get checked for HPV and again types 16 and 33… In general, treatment again, then taking a test. Type 33 remained, but the 16th was not discovered. Again, treatment, taking control… The 33rd was not found, but hello to the 16th!!!

And testing also costs money! At our district clinic, they told me that they don’t test for HPV, they didn’t give me a referral and I had to pay for it all this time. I collected a bunch of papers!

I’m tired of this. I test in different laboratories, mix treatments with alternating viruses that go dormant, and then resurface. I got fed up and began changing doctors, searching for someone who would prescribe adequate treatment for me.

In general, on May 12 of this year, I was recognised. Do you think that’s all? No, I still have to take this test, which in different clinics, with different numbers of types taken as the subject of research, costs from one and a half thousand to two and a half, or even more.

Yes, the test is informative and helps to avoid cancer, but infection is expensive.

Michaelas story

Study on 14 types of Variants. I’ll tell you why this virus 🦠 is dangerous and where to get checked for it. In my review, I will share my impressions of the HPV (human papillomavirus) Study.

My story…

It all started at the beginning of the summer of this year. I had a strange nagging pain in my lower abdomen, like before my period. Having suffered with her for a week and without waiting for these days, I went to see a gynaecologist. After filling out all the bureaucratic paperwork, the doctor sat me in the gynaecological chair as usual and examined me from the inside. The first thing she didn’t like was my cervix. She didn’t like it so much that she immediately pinched off a piece for cytology and urged me to wait for the result. The result almost stunned me. Only one thought was spinning in my head: “What next?” At the appointment, the doctor performed a colposcopy on me and gave me directions to a private laboratory. Among all the others, there was an HPV Variant exam.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Title – Differential determination of HPV DNA of 14 types (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68) in scrapings of epithelial cells of the urogenital tract by PCR;

Biomaterial – epithelium;

Execution time – 3 working days.

 WHAT IS IT?

The doctor explained that we prescribe a checkup for type 14 when cytology and colposcopy results are unsatisfactory, indicating certain problems on my cervix.

But despite the results of previous reports, the doctor asked me not to worry and to complete all the examinations to understand “where the wind is blowing” and decide on a treatment regimen. She put me on a special register right in the office so that I would stop worrying altogether. (sarcasm)

PREPARATION FOR ANALYSIS

The test doctor immediately described how to prepare for the HPV in advance. At first, these recommendations seemed wildly complicated, but everything became simpler once I figured them out. Complying with everything is essential for the reliability of the result because analysis is a costly pleasure.

1. do not douche for a couple of days before collecting biomaterial;

2. do not have sex for a couple of days before collecting biomaterial;

3. if colposcopy was performed, then the analysis should be carried out no earlier than after 3 days;

4. 2 weeks before the analysis, stop taking antibacterial drugs and local antiseptics;

5. stop taking antibiotics a month before the exam.

BIOMATERIAL COLLECTION

I worried a lot before visiting the laboratory and tried to adhere to the recommendations as much as possible. I took everything into account and, with a clear conscience, gave my sample. Since the laboratory I visited was the only paid one in our city, I felt confident about the quality of my money. Therefore, I completed the study during laboratory working hours without facing queues and in a cosy environment.

After I paid the administrator for the study, a couple of minutes later, the nurse invited me to the treatment room. There, she laid a napkin on the gynaecological chair herself; I undressed from the waist down and prepared for unpleasant sensations. But to my surprise, a couple of minutes later, the girl asked me to get dressed since the collection of biomaterial was completed. Wow! How fast, I thought and quickly pulled on my panties. Still, I can’t bring myself to treat this kind of procedure with a calm heart.

Interpretation

A day later, the Health application notified me about the finished results. Of course, I opened it right away. An interpretation also accompanies the results for each type.

By the way, this is not a diagnosis and in any case, you will have to go to an appointment with your gynecologist with these documents. Fortunately, nothing was discovered, and my fears diminished slightly. But now I can’t even imagine what else my gynaecologist will send me to to find the cause of my “problems” and prescribe treatment.

If you cannot print the result from your account on the laboratory website, you can also obtain it in printed form directly in the office.

Results

It was the first time in my life that I underwent a test for an HPV variant. What can I say? I didn’t delve into what kind of trouble one of the cancer-dangerous types of this virus could cause in my body if it were found. Although the result could not help but make me happy, thoughts appeared that I had suddenly done something wrong during preparation or the results were incorrect/inaccurate. This bastard was sitting inside me and doing dirty tricks. What I mean is that I recommend doing such studies ONLY ON THE DIRECTION OF A doctor, so that you don’t overextend yourself.

Since I regularly visit the gynaecologist once a year, I make sure that everything is in order, and then I continue to live my life and not think about anything bad. And now I seem to be living my normal life, but the thoughts that I suddenly crossed that line BEFORE/AFTER do not leave me. At this rate, soon the eye will begin to twitch 🤪

In general, dear ladies, undergo regular body examinations and be healthy!