Signs and Symptoms
The majority of HPV infections do not cause symptoms or disease and resolve spontaneously. However, persistent infection with specific types of HPV (most frequently types 16 and 18) may lead to precancerous lesions. If untreated, these lesions may progress to cervical cancer, but this progression usually takes many years.
Symptoms of cervical cancer tend to appear only after the cancer has reached an advanced stage and may include:
Unusual discharge from the vagina.
Blood spots or light bleeding when you're not having your periods.
Bleeding after menopause.
Bleeding or pain during sex.
Anaemia because of abnormal vaginal bleeding.
Urinary problems because of blockage of a kidney or ureter.
How HPV infection leads to cervical cancer
Although most HPV infections clear up on their own and most pre-cancerous lesions resolve spontaneously, there is a risk for all women that HPV infection may become chronic and pre-cancerous lesions progress to invasive cervical cancer.
It takes 15 to 20 years for cervical cancer to develop in women with normal immune systems. It can take only 5 to 10 years in women with weakened immune systems, such as those with untreated HIV infection.