Do I need a Pap test or an HPV test before I get vaccinated to make sure that I am not already infected?
Pap test and HPV tests are not specific enough to tell if you have already been infected with the specific HPV types in the vaccine. A positive test means that you are infected with one or more HPV types but these may not be the types in the vaccine and you may still benefit from vaccination. A negative HPV type does not mean that you have not been infected in the past and your immune system overcame the virus and turned the test negative. In such women who have been previously infected will not be protected from future infection with this virus type by the vaccine. Because neither a positive test nor a negative test will give you any meaningful information, testing before vaccination is not recommended. Everyone who is not already been vaccinated should be vaccinated. | 
