There's a problem with HPV testing as a diagnostic measure for cervical cancer. HPV is just too common. As I mentioned in the previous blog post, most women with HPV infections, even those high-risk strains, kick the virus on their own within a year. That's great for the women, but leads to an expensive problem for the doctors. How much follow-up is really necessary? No doctor wants to miss an early case of cervical cancer, but if seemingly dormant strains of HPV are as common as they seems to be, a lot of women are going to be getting a lot of testing that they may not really need. That's why it's so important for HPV testing to be done in combination with Pap smears, to try and separate those infections that are a problem from the ones that are just hanging around.

• HPV Overview
• Should I Get an HPV Test or a Pap Smear?