The reason why doctors don’t recommend HPV testing
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted disease that is usually spread through sexual contact. While doctors believe some patients should receive regular medical exams to screen for HPV infection, not all HPV infections require testing. This article will explain the reasons why doctors do not recommend testing for HPV from the following four aspects: 1) The test effect is limited, 2) The possibility of misdiagnosis is high, 3) The treatment methods are not diverse, and 4) It affects mental health.
The inspection effect is limited
Although HPV testing is a common preventive measure, it is not the most ideal method. This may be because it can only detect pathogens or infections, but not early symptoms of cancer. Additionally, HPV is very common in sexually active people, but viral infections often clear up on their own, meaning testing may just be a sign of lesions between sexual encounters rather than definitive evidence of HPV\’s presence. Additionally, even if a person is infected with HPV, it may not be discovered immediately because the virus can lie dormant in the body for years, causing no symptoms to be apparent. Therefore, testing in this case may be pointless.
Misdiagnosis is more likely
The relationship between HPV infection and cancer is complex, so testing to determine whether a person has cancer is complicated by HPV. In fact, even if you test positive for HPV, you cannot be completely sure whether you will have cancer, because there are many different types of HPV, and not every type can cause cancer. In addition, unlike common STDs, HPV cannot be cured and its progression can only be controlled through treatments such as surgery or chemotherapy. Therefore, recommending regular check-ups may lead to false prognosis and unnecessary treatment.
The treatment methods are not diverse
Unlike other sexually transmitted diseases, treatments for HPV are relatively limited. Particularly for those patients whose disease has progressed to a severe level, they may require chemotherapy or surgery. Because of this, some doctors believe that testing to determine whether the virus is present leads to unnecessary purchases of treatments and worry.
Affects mental health
In some cases, even if HPV is not found, people may worry about whether they have the disease before test results come back. Otherwise, mental health conditions may be affected even if the test results are negative. Once you consider that testing alone will not alleviate these concerns, it seems unwise to recommend that patients get tested.
Summary
Although human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is very common, there are many reasons why doctors do not recommend that all patients get tested. First, the effectiveness of testing is limited; second, there is a high risk of misdiagnosis; then, treatment options are limited and surgery is often required; and finally, testing may have a negative impact on mental health. Therefore, before considering getting tested for HPV, people need to know these facts so they can make their own choice.
