Woman shares her experience with human papillomavirus: no symptoms, but a positive test

Laine Kerolaine Uzulnika is publicly sharing her experience with human papillomavirus (HPV). According to the Latvian outlet Delfi, a large share of people encounter the virus during their lifetime, yet it is still often an awkward subject in society. She hopes her candid account will encourage and inform others. Aleksejs Zavorins, a dermatologist and venereologist at "Veselības centrs 4", also explains the virus, its risks and prevention.

A check-up without symptoms

Laine says she had no symptoms at all. She was prompted to get a smear test by women she follows on Instagram who talk about women's health.

She used to live in Ireland and was still registered there at the time, so she received the screening invitation in Ireland. She took the test while visiting the country. Some time later her grandmother phoned to say the results had arrived: the HPV test was positive.

Uncertainty and panic

At that point Laine knew little about the virus, only that it is linked to cervical cancer. She remembers thinking she might have cancer. Hearing the result at a bus stop, she began to cry. The hardest part, she says, was living with the uncertainty and not knowing what to do next.

Repeat tests in Latvia

The letter from Ireland said she needed a colposcopy, an in-depth examination of the cervix. In Latvia, a gynecologist told her nothing could be done on the basis of that letter and would not refer her for a colposcopy, so she had to be tested again. This result was also positive, but the changes were minor and she was told her body might clear them on its own. She was advised to repeat the test after a year.

Because of personal difficulties, Laine was tested again after just a few months. The result was positive once more, but this time a different high-risk HPV type was found.