Muireann O'Connell shares HPV diagnosis to encourage women to get screened

'When I received the call last month that I had HPV, I had a little freak out'

Tue, 20 Jul, 2021 - 06:23

Ciara McDonnell

On Monday, the Irish Examiner reported that CervicalCheck samples from 180 women have expired due to a capacity issue.

The HSE said the capacity issue formed after the programme was expected to process almost 300,000 cervical screening tests this year.

That evening, Six O'Clock Show presenter Muireann O'Connell took to Instagram to share her diagnosis of HPV in order to encourage women to continue to utilse the screening programme.

"Who has HPV? I do!" she said. "I know the story this morning about Cervical Check letting 180 samples go out of date before they were sent on for cytology is infuriating. It’s more than infuriating. Lives have literally been lost over issues at CervicalCheck. Of course you’re gonna be angry at hearing that there have been more massive mistakes made, but, I really hope it’s not gonna stop you from getting screened."

The television presenter went on to explain that she received her diagnosis following a smear last month.

"When I received the call last month that I had HPV, I had a little freak out. Then realised that most people will get some form of HPV in their lifetime and 9 out of 10 clear up within 2 years. Now I know I have it, my GP is on top of it and I’ll be checked again next year. If it develops into something else, it will have been caught early."

O'Connell went on to say that while screening is there to help, more rigorous oversight is needed. "As is accountability. Over 1,000 women have been lied to by the state in the cervical cancer scandal. It is disgusting and every single person deserves justice but please don’t let the failings turn you away from screening. My thoughts are with the women who are gonna receive the call during the week that they need to be retested. Even if everything is ok with every one of those samples and the HPV hasn’t developed into anything else, it’s just not good enough."

What is HPV?

HPV stands for ‘human papillomavirus’, which is a group of more than 100 viruses.
HPV is very common - most people will be infected with a form of HPV in their lifetime. HPV infection is most common in people in their late teens and early 20s.
You can catch HPV by being sexually active with another person who already has the virus.
Most HPV infections do not need treatment because your body can clear the virus itself. But in some people, the HPV infection can develop into cancer or genital warts.
HPV cervical screening was introduced in Ireland in March 2020.

What is the cervical screening for HPV?

It's not a test for cancer, it's a test to see if you are currently at risk of developing cancer.
During the screening test, a small sample of cells is taken from your cervix.
HPV can cause abnormal cell changes in the cervix.
HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer.
If your sample tests positive for HPV, we will check for abnormal cells.
Abnormal cell changes are sometimes called pre-cancerous cells.
In most cases, it takes 10 to 15 years for cells in the cervix to go from normal to pre-cancer to cancer.
Finding HPV or abnormal cells early means you can be monitored or treated so that any abnormal cells do not turn into cervical cancer.