FAQs

I am pregnant and concerned about passing HPV on to my unborn baby?

Answer

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection is extremely common in women and in most will clear by itself within several months without any consequences.

At present, it is unclear how often infants are infected through vertical transmission from a mother with HPV, either during the pregnancy or at the time of delivery. It is also unclear what the consequences of HPV transmission are for the infant.

At this stage, we do not advise any change in the management of abnormal Pap smears in women found to have HPV during pregnancy. We follow the NHMRC guidelines for any abnormality detected as per usual.

There is insufficient evidence to recommend generalised caesarian-section for women found to be positive for HPV during pregnancy.