The story of

Petya Georgieva,

Hi, my name is Petya .👋 I am 27 years old and I have HPV and precancerous stage CIN2. To be specific I have HPV 45 which is considered high-risk and is related to cervix cancer.

My story begins in the summer of 2021 when I went for my annual gynecological visit. My doctor could immediately tell that I had the virus (at this point I had already developed visible changes on my cervix) and she suggested receiving a test which confirmed her suspicions. The news came out of the blue and I felt extremely scared. Questions like ‘Can I cure this?’ and ‘Will it progress to cervix cancer?’ popped in my head… The next step was receiving a HPV treatment for 6 months. Unfortunately, it did not work on me. Later on I received more tests, a colposcopy and eventually I did a biopsy. The biopsy showed us that I have developed precancerous stage CIN2. So my doctor suggested receiving the LEEP procedure which removes the precancerous cells on your cervix. I discussed the possibility of waiting several months before undergoing the procedure. So currently I am undergoing an alternative therapy to stimulate the immune system for 4 months and if I don’t clear the precancerous cells I will eventually undergo the LEEP procedure. My reasoning for waiting is that there is a possibility that my body clears the virus and the bad cells on its own.

During this time (almost 2 years) I have felt terrified, angry, alone, anxious, so on… I chose not to share my journey with almost anyone and I was going alone to my doctor’s visits. I switched several doctors until I found the one that I can trust. Wow, was that a rollercoaster… 😄 But now that I know enough about the virus and I know that I can trust my doctor, I am confident that I have made the right choices and I will eventually cure my CIN2. Because it can be cured!

As terrifying as it may be at first, there are several good news. Firstly, women (unlike men) can undergo HPV tests and know if they are positive and at any risk. Secondly, you can prevent all of this by receiving a vaccine. Don’t forget about your annual doctor’s visits. They are so important and give you the chance to react on time if there is any problem. Progression of the precancerous stages on your cervix is very slow and gives you enough time to test your treatment options. Moreover, most of the time your body clears the virus and the precancerous cells on its own.

So I will suggest: get you mom, sister, aunt, cousin, friend… go and receive your Pap smears together. And don’t forget we are in all of this together. ❤️

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