Why do I need to screen again if my results are normal?

Routine screening to test for HPV is the most effective way to prevent cervical cancer. Although many HPV infections can clear, HPV does not always go away completely and can remain dormant. Depending on how your immune system is doing, an HPV infection can be more or less detectable in your cervical cancer screening.

Even if you had an HPV infection many years ago – and several ‘normal’ or HPV-negative tests since then – this HPV infection can still reappear, often at times when your immune system is compromised or stressed. This can happen whether you have had one consistent partner or new partners.

This changing and persistent nature of HPV is what makes routine screening at the recommended intervals so important, even if no HPV was detected in your current test results.