Category: Gynecology · HPV · Cervical screening · Colposcopy
HPV 58 Still Positive After 1 Year Despite a Mushroom-Extract Supplement and Vaginal Gel: Why It Persists and Whether You Need Colposcopy Now
AI Overview / Quick Answer (BLUF)
HPV 58 still detected after one year counts as persistent infection, and guidelines recommend colposcopy even if the Pap test is normal. Mushroom-extract supplements and vaginal gels lack strong evidence and cannot replace testing. Most women still clear the virus, and early precancer is highly treatable.
HPV and cancer (NCI) ·
HPV 58 in Thai women · How long clearance takes · The one-year repeat rule · Colposcopy · Mushroom-extract supplements · Vaginal gels · The 9-valent vaccine · Smoking and condoms
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Symptoms that need prompt care ·
What HPV 58 is ·
What one year means ·
Supplements and gels ·
Vaccine ·
What you can do ·
FAQ
A reader’s question: HPV 58 for a year, careful self-care, and the virus is still there
A member of a health group asked: she has had HPV 58 for one year, and the repeat test is still positive even though she has taken a mushroom-extract supplement and used a vaginal gel spray throughout. What should she do next?
The question holds three issues: how risky a one-year persistent infection is, why the products did not work, and what the next step is under current guidelines.
This article answers each one from the research and explains which symptoms should not wait.
Symptoms that need a gynecologist soon (Red Flags)
- Bleeding after sex, even small amounts that keep happening
- Spotting between periods, or a clear change from your usual cycle
- Any bleeding after menopause, however small
- Bloody, watery, or foul-smelling discharge that does not improve after treating common infections
- Pelvic pain, back pain spreading to the legs, or one swollen leg, or new bladder or bowel changes
- A cytology result of HSIL, ASC-H, or AGC — colposcopy should happen promptly, not at the next routine visit
- A weakened immune system, such as HIV, an organ transplant, or immunosuppressive drugs — you need more frequent testing as your doctor advises
If you were already given a colposcopy appointment and missed it, call the hospital to rebook. Missed colposcopy is the most common reason precancer is found late.
1. What HPV 58 is, and why it can still be detected after a year
HPV 58 is one of the high-risk HPV types that is common in East and Southeast Asia. A review of Thai women with CIN2 to CIN3 (Kietpeerakool 2015)
found HPV 16 most often (38.5%), followed by HPV 58 (20.0%), and the cancer-to-CIN2/3 ratio for HPV 58 was 1.38, showing that HPV 58 matters in Thai women.
Data from Siriraj Hospital in 216 women attending screening (Chaopotong 2024) showed high-risk HPV in 9.3%, with the HPV 31/33/52/58 group making up 27.8% of infections.
How risky HPV 58 is compared with other types
A 5.5-year follow-up of 534 women with high-risk HPV (Quan 2026) found an immediate CIN2+ risk of 21.1% for HPV 16 and 31, 17.1% for HPV 33, and 12.7% for HPV 58.
During follow-up, HPV 58 progressed in 11.2% and cleared in 88.8%. The PATRICIA study of 4,825 women (Jaisamrarn 2013) also confirmed that risk differs by type, with HPV 16 and 33 carrying the highest risk.
Bar lengths are scaled 2× for readability; the numbers inside the bars are the actual study values.
How long clearance takes
A classic study of 608 college women (Ho 1998) found that new infections lasted a median of only 8 months.
But persistent high-risk infection raised the risk of an abnormal Pap test 37.2-fold. So the idea that “the body takes one to two years, so just wait” is incomplete.
An infection still present at one year is a signal to examine the tissue, not just to keep waiting.
Why some women clear the virus slowly
Factors linked to persistence include older age, infection with several types at once, smoking, and a weakened immune system. Most persistence is not caused by poor self-care.
HPV lives in the basal cells of the cervical lining and does not enter the bloodstream, so the immune system has trouble seeing it, and some women simply take longer than others.
2. Still positive at one year: what the guidelines say to do
The one-year repeat rule
The 2019 American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology guidelines (Perkins 2020) use a risk-based approach.
Women with a high-risk type other than 16/18 and normal cytology repeat testing in one year. If the repeat test is still HPV-positive, colposcopy is recommended even if the Pap test is normal,
because the cumulative risk of high-grade disease passes the threshold for looking at the tissue directly. Screening in Thailand follows the same principle.
Test results and next steps when HPV 58 is found
| Result | Meaning | Next step | When to retest |
|---|---|---|---|
| HPV 58 first found, normal cells (NILM) | Virus present, no abnormal cells seen yet | Surveillance | 1 year |
| HPV 58 still present at 1 year | Persistent infection, higher cumulative risk | Colposcopy, even with normal cells | Based on colposcopy |
| HPV 58 with ASC-US or LSIL | Minor cell changes | Colposcopy | Based on biopsy |
| HPV 58 with HSIL, ASC-H, or AGC | Possible high-grade lesion | Prompt colposcopy; loop excision considered in some cases | Within weeks |
| Colposcopy normal, or CIN1 | No high-grade lesion | Surveillance, no surgery | HPV test in 1 year |
| Biopsy shows CIN2 or CIN3 | Precancer | Loop excision or ablation | Several follow-up visits after treatment |
Steps may differ with age, pregnancy, immune status, and previous results. Follow your own gynecologist’s advice.
Having the virus is not the same as having a lesion
An HPV DNA test answers “is the virus there?” A Pap test or liquid-based cytology, and colposcopy, answer “have the cells changed?”
Colposcopy takes about 10 to 20 minutes. The doctor applies dilute vinegar to the cervix and looks through a magnifying scope; if an area looks abnormal, a small biopsy is taken. Most women feel only mild discomfort.
Where do your results and screening history stand?
This assessment helps you see which pattern your HPV results and screening history fit, how soon further testing should happen, and which signs should not wait.
Analyze your severity level and get personalized guidance from our Advisory team
Take the free Cervical Screening-Gap Assessment
The assessment only ranks urgency. It is not a diagnostic tool.
3. Mushroom-extract supplements and vaginal gels: what the evidence says
In short, both have interesting studies, but they lack strong evidence to replace follow-up testing or colposcopy. If the virus is still there after using them, it does not mean you used them wrongly.
Shiitake mycelia extract supplement
A standardized extract of cultured shiitake mycelia has been studied by one research group. Two pilot studies of 10 women each (Smith 2019) reported clearance in 4 of 6 and 4 of 9 women, without a comparison group.
A phase II randomized trial then enrolled 50 women over 30 with high-risk HPV persisting more than two years (Smith 2022). Clearance was 63.6% (14 of 22) after 3 grams a day for 6 months, versus 10.5% (2 of 19) on placebo.
The result is interesting, but only 41 women completed the study, it came from a single center, and no larger trial from another group has confirmed it. It is not in any clinical guideline and was not tested specifically for HPV 58.
Carboxymethyl beta-glucan vaginal gel spray
Gels containing carboxymethyl beta-glucan with polycarbophil are designed to coat the lining and support re-epithelialization of the cervix. A non-randomized study of 533 Spanish women (Pingarrón Santofimia 2026) found a negative HPV test at 6 months in 50.1% of those who used it for 3 months, versus 24.0% with observation.
A retrospective study of 784 women (Lavitola 2020) found negative tests in 39.9% versus 16.5%.
Neither study was randomized, patients and doctors knew who used the gel, and follow-up was only 6 months, so the results may reflect differences between the women who chose the gel rather than the gel itself.
What professional societies conclude
The 2026 International Papillomavirus Society statement (Arroyo Mühr 2026) concluded that no therapy has proven durable efficacy in eliminating HPV infection,
and that probiotics, supplements, vaginal gels, and commercially promoted products lack robust evidence. What works today is surveillance, treatment of precancer when found, vaccination, and routine screening.
Evidence summary for supplements and vaginal gels
| Product and study | Study design | Reported result | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shiitake mycelia extract (Smith 2019) | Two pilots, no comparison group | Cleared in 4 of 6 and 4 of 9 | Very small, no controls |
| Shiitake mycelia extract (Smith 2022) | Randomized, blinded, placebo, 50 women | 63.6% vs 10.5% | Single center, 41 completed, not yet replicated |
| Beta-glucan plus polycarbophil gel (Pingarrón Santofimia 2026) | Prospective, non-randomized, 533 women | 50.1% vs 24.0% at 6 months | Not randomized, not blinded, short follow-up |
| Beta-glucan gel (Lavitola 2020) | Retrospective, 784 women | 39.9% vs 16.5% | Retrospective, selection bias |
| International society statement (Arroyo Mühr 2026) | Review of all evidence | No therapy eliminates the virus | Surveillance remains the mainstay |
If you want to keep using a product, tell your gynecologist, and do not delay colposcopy while waiting to see if it works.
4. Should you get the 9-valent HPV vaccine now?
The vaccine does not clear an infection you already have, but the 9-valent vaccine covers HPV 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58, so it still protects against the types you have not caught.
It protects against other types; protection against the same type is unclear
A pooled analysis of four bivalent-vaccine trials in 5,137 women who had a high-risk infection at vaccination (Wen 2024) found 82.70% protection against CIN2+ caused by vaccine types the women did not yet carry.
Protection against reinfection with the same type after natural clearance was not statistically significant, so the claim that “the vaccine will stop HPV 58 from coming back” goes beyond the evidence.
Women up to 26 should be vaccinated routinely; women aged 27 to 45 should decide with their doctor. See HPV vaccine after infection for details.
If a lesion needs treatment, vaccination lowers recurrence
A meta-analysis of 11 studies and 21,310 patients (Di Donato 2021) found that vaccination alongside surgical treatment lowered recurrence of CIN2+ (odds ratio 0.35). If your doctor recommends a loop excision, ask about the vaccine at the same time.
5. What you can do while your body clears the virus
Quit smoking: the factor with the clearest evidence
A prospective study of 346 women (Giuliano 2002) found that women who had ever smoked kept high-risk HPV longer (median 10.7 versus 8.5 months), and the longer they had smoked, the lower their chance of clearance.
Among 548 women with high-risk HPV and normal cytology (Tolstrup 2006), current smokers had higher odds of high-grade lesions than never-smokers (odds ratio 1.99).
Smoking is an important risk factor you can change, but it is not the only cause of persistence.
Condoms and your partner
A study of 82 women (Winer 2006) found that when partners always used condoms, HPV infection fell to 37.8 per 100 patient-years versus 89.3 when condoms were used less than 5% of the time (hazard ratio 0.3).
In short, condoms reduce new infections but do not clear an existing one. A positive test does not show who brought the virus, because HPV can stay latent for years. See HPV 58 latency and transmission.
Overall health
- Sleep 7 to 8 hours, exercise regularly, and eat a variety of vegetables and fruit for overall immune health, although no trial has shown these speed up HPV clearance
- Avoid vaginal douching, and treat any other vaginal infection your doctor finds
- Keep a record of every test date, HPV result, and cytology result, and bring it if you change hospitals
- If worry is affecting your sleep or daily life, talking with a mental health professional can help
Comparison of management options for persistent HPV 58
| Option | Role | Evidence | Key point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colposcopy and biopsy | Finds lesions cytology may miss | Standard under ASCCP 2019 | Quick, mild discomfort |
| Repeat HPV plus cytology | Tracks clearance or cell change | Guideline standard | Keep every appointment |
| Loop excision or ablation | Treats CIN2–3 | Standard for high-grade lesions | Not done just to clear the virus without a lesion |
| 9-valent HPV vaccine | Protects against types not yet caught | 82.70% against types not carried (Wen 2024) | Does not clear the current infection |
| Quitting smoking | Helps the body clear the virus | Prospective studies (Giuliano 2002, Tolstrup 2006) | Start now, many other benefits |
| Condoms | Reduce new infections | Hazard ratio 0.3 (Winer 2006) | Do not clear an existing infection |
| Shiitake mycelia extract supplement | May modulate immunity | One small randomized trial | Not a substitute for testing; costly |
| Beta-glucan vaginal gel | Coats and supports the lining | Non-randomized studies | Not a substitute for testing |
| Antiviral drugs for HPV | None exist | No therapy eliminates the virus (Arroyo Mühr 2026) | Be wary of products claiming to kill HPV |
Generic or class names only; no trade names. Choose options together with your gynecologist.
Common beliefs versus the evidence
“One year is still within the clearance window, so repeating the test every 6 to 12 months is enough”
If the virus is still present at the one-year repeat, guidelines recommend colposcopy, not just another repeat test.
“Supplements or gels will clear the virus; if not, I used them wrong”
No product has been proven to clear HPV. A persistent result does not mean you did anything wrong.
“The 9-valent vaccine will stop HPV 58 from coming back”
The vaccine protects well against types you have not caught, but data on preventing reinfection with the same type are unclear.
“Smoking is the main reason HPV does not clear”
Smoking prolongs infection and raises lesion risk, but non-smokers can also have persistent infection.
“A repeat HPV 58 result means cancer is coming”
Usually not. Most HPV 58 infections clear, and lesions found during follow-up respond well to treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
HPV 58 is still positive after one year. Is it dangerous, or is it cancer already?
It does not mean cancer. An HPV test shows that the virus is present, not whether cells have changed. However, a high-risk type that is still present after one year counts as a persistent infection, which carries a higher chance of precancer than a new infection. Guidelines therefore recommend colposcopy to look at the tissue directly, and precancer found at this stage responds well to treatment.
Why is the virus still there after a mushroom-extract supplement and a vaginal gel?
Because no product has been proven to eliminate HPV. The shiitake mycelia extract has only one small randomized trial in 50 women, and the beta-glucan vaginal gel has only non-randomized studies. The 2026 International Papillomavirus Society statement concluded that supplements and vaginal gels lack robust evidence. A persistent result does not mean you did anything wrong.
What extra tests do I need after one year of HPV 58?
If you have not had one yet, book a colposcopy with a gynecologist, with a biopsy of any abnormal area, together with cytology. If colposcopy is normal or shows only CIN1, HPV testing is usually repeated in one year. If CIN2 or CIN3 is found, it is treated with a loop excision or an ablation procedure.
Should I get the 9-valent HPV vaccine while I still have HPV 58?
The vaccine does not clear an infection you already have, but it still protects against high-risk types you have not caught. A pooled analysis of four bivalent-vaccine trials in 5,137 women who had a high-risk infection at vaccination found 82.70% protection against precancer from vaccine types they did not yet carry, while protection against reinfection with the same type was unclear. Women up to 26 should be vaccinated routinely; ages 27 to 45 should decide with their doctor.
Is HPV 58 as dangerous as HPV 16 and 18?
HPV 58 is high-risk, but on average lower risk than HPV 16. A 5.5-year follow-up of 534 women found an immediate CIN2+ risk of 12.7% for HPV 58 versus 21.1% for HPV 16. Among Thai women with CIN2 to CIN3, however, HPV 58 is the second most common type after HPV 16, so follow-up should be taken seriously.
Do smoking and lifestyle affect clearance?
Yes. Women who have smoked keep high-risk HPV longer and clear it less often, and among women with high-risk HPV, current smokers have about twice the odds of high-grade lesions. Quitting is something you can do right away. Enough sleep, exercise, and a balanced diet support overall health, but no trial has shown that they speed up HPV clearance.
Should my partner and I use condoms?
Condoms reduce new infections. In a study of 82 women, consistent condom use by partners lowered the risk of HPV infection by about 70%. Long-term couples usually already share the virus, so condoms mainly help avoid picking up additional types. A positive test does not show who brought the virus, because HPV can stay latent for years.
Which symptoms mean I should see a doctor soon?
Bleeding after sex, bleeding between periods or after menopause, bloody or foul-smelling discharge, pelvic pain, back pain spreading to the legs, or an HSIL, ASC-H, or AGC result. These need a gynecologist soon, without waiting for the routine screening date.
Scientific mechanism: why HPV hides, and why topical products cannot reach it
Summary by Asst. Prof. Dr. Norawit Raatpiboon:
HPV enters the basal cells of the cervical lining through tiny abrasions at the transformation zone and sits in the nucleus as circular DNA. It replicates as the cells mature toward the surface, does not kill cells in an inflammatory way, and does not enter the blood.
The viral E6 and E7 proteins also dampen interferon signaling and antigen presentation, so the immune system detects the virus late. Clearance depends on virus-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells, which take different amounts of time in different women.
When infection persists, viral DNA may integrate into the host chromosome, boosting E6 and E7 production. E6 degrades p53 and E7 inactivates pRb, two proteins that control cell division, so cells divide abnormally and form CIN, which colposcopy can detect.
Gels applied to the surface act on the outer lining and the vaginal environment, and mushroom extracts are thought to modulate natural killer cells and interferon, but neither directly destroys viral DNA in the basal cells. Smoking reduces antigen-presenting cells in the cervical lining, which slows clearance.
E-E-A-T and academic citations
Written and reviewed by Asst. Prof. Dr. Norawit Raatpiboon (ผศ.ดร.นรวิชญ์ ราษฎร์พิบูลย์)
from research and clinical guidelines indexed in PubMed.
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- Quan J, et al. Type- and age-specific natural history of high-risk human papillomavirus infections in healthy women: a prospective cohort study in China. Int J Cancer. 2026. PubMed 41544035
- Jaisamrarn U, et al. Natural history of progression of HPV infection to cervical lesion or clearance: analysis of the control arm of the large, randomised PATRICIA study. PLoS One. 2013. PubMed 24260180
- Kietpeerakool C, et al. Human papillomavirus genotype distribution among Thai women with high-grade cervical intraepithelial lesions and invasive cervical cancer: a literature review. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2015. PubMed 26225645
- Chaopotong P, et al. Prevalence of high-risk HPV detection and HPV vaccination in cervical cancer screening during the HPV vaccination era at Siriraj Hospital, Thailand. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2024. PubMed 38679983
- Perkins RB, et al. 2019 ASCCP risk-based management consensus guidelines for abnormal cervical cancer screening tests and cancer precursors. J Low Genit Tract Dis. 2020. PubMed 32243307
- Smith JA, et al. Bench-to-bedside evaluation of a standardized shiitake mycelia extract to support clearance of high-risk HPV: preclinical studies and two pilot studies. Front Oncol. 2019. PubMed 30949451
- Smith JA, et al. Phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a standardized shiitake mycelia extract to clear persistent high-risk HPV infections. Front Oncol. 2022. PubMed 35814366
- Pingarrón Santofimia C, et al. Local carboxymethyl beta-glucan and polycarbophil in women positive for human papillomavirus: a prospective observational study. Drugs Context. 2026. PubMed 42757327
- Lavitola G, et al. Effects on vaginal microbiota restoration and cervical epithelialization in positive HPV patients undergoing vaginal treatment with carboxy-methyl-beta-glucan. Biomed Res Int. 2020. PubMed 32420349
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- Wen TM, et al. Efficacy and immunogenicity of AS04-HPV-16/18 vaccine in females with existing cervical high-risk HPV infection at first vaccination: a pooled analysis of four large clinical trials worldwide. Int J Cancer. 2024. PubMed 38367273
- Di Donato V, et al. Adjuvant HPV vaccination to prevent recurrent cervical dysplasia after surgical treatment: a meta-analysis. Vaccines (Basel). 2021. PubMed 33919003
- Giuliano AR, et al. Clearance of oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infection: effect of smoking (United States). Cancer Causes Control. 2002. PubMed 12462549
- Tolstrup J, et al. The role of smoking and alcohol intake in the development of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions among high-risk HPV-positive women. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2006. PubMed 16929418
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Medical disclaimer
This article is for education only and is not a diagnosis, prescription, or personal medical advice.
HPV follow-up depends on age, previous results, pregnancy, and immune status. Talk with your gynecologist before starting or stopping any product.
If you have any symptom listed under symptoms that need prompt care, see a doctor soon.