What a Pap test looks for are changes that the HPV virus has caused in the cervix, so it looks for an active lesion. What the HPV tests looks for is an active virus, so it can be more specific and sensitive to be able to identify someone who has an active HPV virus. Not only that, but there are different subtypes of HPV. We know some of them are more likely to cause more aggressive cancers than others.
We can subtype these now. If we find out that someone has an HPV virus, there are guidelines that were just published last year about this in combination with GOC, CPAC and the Canadian colposcopy society. This was all put together through Canada-wide recommendations for HPV testing, as well as what to do when someone has a positive HPV test.