The short explanation
There is no medicine that removes HPV itself. What doctors treat are abnormal cell changes in the cervix, and your Pap smear shows none at the moment. So there is nothing to treat yet, and repeating the test after about a year is the standard way of watching. Most HPV infections clear on their own, often within one to two years, as the immune system deals with them. The repeat test checks whether it has cleared, and whether any cell changes have appeared. If HPV is still there, or cells look abnormal, you would usually be sent for a closer look called colposcopy.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Some labs report the HPV type. If types 16 or 18 are found, clinicians often recommend colposcopy straight away rather than waiting, because these types carry a higher risk.
- Not smoking helps the body clear HPV. Keeping the follow-up date matters more than anything else.
- A positive HPV result does not say when you got it. The virus can stay quiet for many years, so it does not show anything about a recent partner.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot say whether your HPV will clear or whether changes will develop. Only follow-up testing can show that.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Was the HPV type reported, and was it 16 or 18?
- When exactly should I repeat the test, and which test?
- What would make you send me for colposcopy?
- Is there anything I can do to help my body clear it?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Book an appointment soon
- See a doctor within a few days if you develop bleeding after sex, bleeding between periods or unusual discharge before your repeat test.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- Note your repeat date and book it in advance, so the follow-up does not slip.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- HPV MedlinePlus (NIH)
- Cervical screening results NHS
- Pap and HPV testing National Cancer Institute (NIH)
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
Did this answer your question?
Whatever you choose is filed against this version of the answer, never against you, and it is never shown as a count.
“Explain more simply” asks you which part was hard to follow, so the author knows what to rewrite. “My question is different” opens a private follow-up with this answer attached.
Saving, following up and reporting are all private. Nothing you do on this page is visible to other readers or to the doctor who wrote it, unless you ask a question.