Do I need to do HPV test if TCT is normal?

Female friends who have gone to the hospital for a gynecological examination have more or less had this experience: the doctor examined our private parts. If you feel that your cervix is ​​not very smooth, or if you have vulvar itching, odor, abnormal leucorrhea, etc. in your current medical history. The doctor will usually ask us to do a TCT test. If the TCT test result is not ideal, he will usually give us an additional HPV test. Sometimes both need to be checked at once. So what are these two tests checking? Why do we only need to check one in some cases and need joint follow-up consultation in other cases? Today I will share it with you.

First of all, let’s talk about TCT test. TCT test is the general name of liquid-based cytology test. It uses liquid-based cytology test network to detect cervical cells and perform cytological classification diagnosis. It is currently the most advanced cervical cancer cell cytology examination technology in the world. It can detect microbial infections in the natural environment of our vagina, such as fungi, trichomonas, viral infections, mycoplasma, etc. It can also detect some diseased cells, which is a very effective inspection method. Therefore, when there are some abnormalities in our private parts, the doctor will do a TCT to check the condition.

Generally, if a large number of microbial infections are detected in the TCT test, it means that we have vaginitis caused by these microbial species. If atypical squamous cells (abnormal cells) are detected in the TCT test results, it is usually not possible to determine the cause of these atypical squamous cells. The report at this time often states that it is atypical squamous cells (the meaning cannot be determined), and an HPV test is needed to determine why there are abnormal cells.

HPV testing is to check whether our cervix is ​​infected with the HPV virus. There are many subtypes of this HPV virus. Among them, HPV16 and HPV18 can cause cervical cancer. From HPV virus infection to the development of cervical cancer, one must go through the following process: HPV infection—HPV persistent infection—CIN1—CIN2—CIN3—cervical cancer. Before developing into cervical cancer, it is called precancerous lesions. If the problem is discovered and treated promptly before it develops, the success rate of treatment can be almost 100%. HPV testing is to check whether the cause of atypical squamous cells is due to HPV infection.