Should you have a hysterectomy if you have HPV?
Robert Miller
Updated on April 16, 2026
Hysterectomy is commonly requested by patients upon learning of cervical dysplasia, particularly if they have chronic human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and have experienced years of frequent surveillance and interventions.
Can HPV still cause cancer after hysterectomy?
We conclude that HPV infection can cause vaginal cancer after complete hysterectomy in cases complicated by CIN. Therefore, HPV should be regularly assessed during the postoperative follow-up period.Can I get a hysterectomy if I have precancerous cells?
When the entire uterus is removed — cervix included — there is no longer a cervix available for cancerous cells to develop in. However, sometimes a full hysterectomy is performed after precancerous cells have developed or after a diagnosis of cervical cancer.Can you get cervical cancer if you have had a hysterectomy?
Context Most US women who have undergone hysterectomy are not at risk of cervical cancer—they underwent the procedure for benign disease and they no longer have a cervix.Does cervix removal get rid of HPV?
“The surgical procedure removes all the tissue that is headed towards cancer, but it doesn't remove all the HPV. You're not home free.Should I have my cervix removed when I have a hysterectomy? Dr. Melissa Pendergrass
What happens to HPV after hysterectomy?
Cytologic abnormalities and HPV infection are both relatively common in individuals who have undergone hysterectomy. HPV infection of the vagina is found with similar frequency as HPV infection of the cervix and the prevalence of hrHPV is similar between individuals with and without hysterectomy.What are the disadvantages of having a hysterectomy?
³ Major complications include hemorrhage, bowel injury, bladder injury, pulmonary embolism, adverse reactions to anesthesia, wound dehiscence, and hematoma. And between 10% and 15% of women who undergo hysterectomy require blood transfusions.Does having a hysterectomy age you faster?
Having a hysterectomy is a big change for your body. Depending on where you are in your menopause journey, this type of procedure can cause hormonal changes resulting in different side effects. A hysterectomy by itself usually doesn't affect your hormones and aging as much.Is HPV high-risk cancer?
In the United States, high-risk HPVs cause 3% of all cancers in women and 2% of all cancers in men. Each year, there are about 45,000 new cases of cancer in parts of the body where HPV is often found, and HPV is estimated to cause about 36,000 of these, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).Why you shouldn't get a hysterectomy?
For many women, the biggest drawback to a hysterectomy is loss of fertility. Once you have a hysterectomy, you cannot conceive, and for many women of childbearing age, this is a significant loss. Women who feel pushed into a hysterectomy may also have a negative reaction to it.When is a hysterectomy unnecessary?
A hysterectomy is a surgery in which the uterus is removed from a woman. While studies show that most hysterectomies are unnecessary unless the woman has endometrial or cervical cancer, only about 10 percent of the estimated 600,000 hysterectomies performed per year are done to remove cancer.What are the signs of needing a hysterectomy?
The most common reasons for having a hysterectomy include:
- heavy periods – which can be caused by fibroids.
- pelvic pain – which may be caused by endometriosis, unsuccessfully treated pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), adenomyosis or fibroids.
- prolapse of the uterus.
- cancer of the womb, ovaries or cervix.