There are five reasons that high-risk HPV virus and abnormal pap smears are more common during peri-menopause and menopause.

Many women think that dealing with HPV and abnormal pap smears is primarily a concern for women in their 20s and 30s. While yes, it is a concern for younger women, it’s also a significant issue for women over age 35. Age 35 marks the beginning of perimenopause, which means around the time of menopause. 

Menopause is defined by one year since your last period, with the average age being 51. This means that post-menopause comprises most of a woman’s life, making it crucial to understand how to support women during this transition and beyond.

Perhaps some of you listening have already dealt with abnormal cells or cancer related to HPV and want to know how to prevent a recurrence. I’ll be sharing that information with you because this is something I specialize in helping women address. 

We need to understand why it is and how it is that high-risk HPV virus can test positive during this time of your life, and know that there’s so much you can do to protect yourself from high-risk HPV to prevent it from causing cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, or other types of HPV-related cancers.

Understanding HPV Risk During Menopause

As a naturopathic doctor, midwife, and clinical nutritionist specializing in Women’s Health for 25 years, I’ve been helping women address abnormal pap smears and successfully clear HPV to negative. 

The key is understanding what makes them susceptible to the virus in the first place. It’s not just about exposure – most of us are exposed to the 13 different high-risk HPV viruses by age 50. Instead, it’s about your body’s environment that allows the virus to continue existing and thriving.

We need to look at the environment in your body and make shifts, changes, and improvements to address imbalances and deficiencies. This way, your immune system and microbiome can protect you from the HPV virus. 

Let’s explore the five most common susceptibilities I find in patients and program participants who are peri and postmenopausal. Understanding these factors is crucial because they all work together to either protect you from or make you more susceptible to HPV.

5 Reasons Why Menopause Increases Risk of HPV

1. Changes in Estrogen and Progesterone

The first major factor is the change in estrogen and progesterone levels. While women in their 20s and 30s might have high estrogen, what happens with peri and post-menopause is different. The process begins with decreasing progesterone as ovary function declines in our late 30s and 40s. 

This decrease causes various menstrual irregularities and other perimenopause symptoms. Subsequently, estrogen levels start to decrease, though this can happen differently for each person – sometimes in a turbulent pattern of ups and downs over months, years, or even a decade.

Estrogen and progesterone communicate with receptors throughout our body, not just in the pelvic area. As these hormones shift, it affects many different areas, causing various symptoms from headaches to joint pain, hair/skin/nail changes, and digestive issues. 

Particularly important is the impact on vaginal tissue, which is very sensitive to estrogen levels. When estrogen decreases, the vaginal tissue becomes weaker and less protective against infections, including HPV.

Research shows that for most women, there are safe and effective ways to use vaginal estrogen, either estradiol or estriol, to support vaginal estrogen levels and help vaginal cells recover their protective function. 

This is something important to discuss with your doctor, as recent research indicates that many more women would benefit from vaginal estrogen than previously realized. If you’re not already using vaginal estrogen, this is definitely something to talk to your doctor about or reach out to me for help.

2. Microbiome Changes

The second reason for HPV susceptibility during peri and post-menopause is changes in the microbiome. Our microbiome consists of trillions of bacteria living in and on our bodies in symbiosis. These positive balanced microbes benefit us, which is why we use probiotics. During peri and post-menopause, as hormones shift, so does your microbiome, affecting both gut and vaginal bacteria.

The hormonal changes can lead to increased gas, bloating, weight gain, and decreased protection against infections like HPV. There are healthy microbes in the vagina that should be protecting you from HPV and other infections. If you’re testing positive for high-risk HPV, it indicates these bacteria aren’t doing their job effectively. When estrogen drops, it shifts the microbiome, particularly lactobacillus levels, allowing HPV to emerge.

Once HPV shows up, it starts affecting the microbiome even more, creating a cycle that needs to be addressed. I’ve developed specific women’s probiotics for this purpose, to help restore both oral and vaginal bacteria. There’s also specialized testing and treatments available that aren’t part of standard gynecological care. Don’t leave yourself dealing with these issues for years – reach out for help to address these imbalances.

3. Insulin Function Changes

The third factor is changes in insulin function. As estrogen and progesterone levels drop, so does insulin function, which helps manage blood sugar levels. This change makes you more likely to have high blood sugar, leading to increased weight gain risk, high cholesterol, diabetes, and increased susceptibility to high-risk HPV virus.

It’s crucial to have your doctor test for high blood sugar during blood work, including fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1C. Even if you don’t have diabetes, even if it’s just higher than it used to be, that could be increasing your risk of HPV virus and cancer. We can address this through diet changes and specific nutrients and herbs that help increase insulin function and counteract menopause-related effects.

Importantly, when the microbiome changes, it also affects insulin function, showing how interconnected these systems are. We need to address all these factors together for the best results. The combination of imbalanced hormones, disrupted microbiome, and insulin dysfunction creates an environment where HPV can thrive, but we can work to change this environment.

4. Increased Inflammation

The fourth factor is higher inflammation in the body during menopause. This can manifest as joint pain, headaches, skin rashes, fatigue, and general puffiness. Inflammation can result from high blood sugar, imbalanced gut bacteria, or leaky gut, where intestinal cells allow food to leak through and trigger inflammatory responses.

I test my patients for leaky gut and help them heal it because we can address this condition using diet, nutrients, and herbs rather than relying on anti-inflammatory medications. My patients see amazing results when we drop inflammation levels – they feel so much better overall. When inflammation exists in the vagina – and inflammation anywhere in your body can affect the vaginal area – it increases the risk of high-risk HPV.

The virus thrives in an environment with inflammation, insufficient good bacteria, and inadequate estrogen levels. HPV loves it when there’s inflammation, not enough good bacteria, not enough estrogen, and when the immune system is compromised. We need to change the entire body environment, not just focus on vaginal health alone. By addressing both your overall health and specific vaginal health issues, we can achieve better, longer-lasting results.

5. Cortisol Level Changes

The fifth factor affecting HPV susceptibility is changes in cortisol levels. Cortisol, our main stress hormone, is essential throughout the day – we need it to wake up in the morning, get through the day, and then decrease at night for sleep. However, during life transitions like perimenopause and under stress, cortisol levels can become imbalanced, either too high or too low at various times of the day.

I believe in testing rather than guessing, so I measure cortisol levels through urine or saliva tests at different times: morning, midday, evening, and bedtime. This allows me to recommend specific herbs and nutrients at the right times to help reset your cortisol back to optimal levels. This approach differs from conventional medicine, which often focuses on temporary changes through pharmaceuticals.

Cortisol acts like the manager of everything in your body. When it’s off balance, it sends stress signals to your digestion, furthering leaky gut and microbiome issues. It affects insulin, raising blood sugar levels even more. It impacts your already struggling ovaries and thyroid, disrupts your nervous system and neurotransmitters like serotonin, GABA, and dopamine (affecting mood, sleep, energy, and focus), and most importantly, it disrupts your immune system.

Treatment Approaches and Solutions

We can address these issues through various natural approaches. For vaginal health, research shows that vaginal estrogen (either estradiol or estriol) can be safe and effective for most women. We can also support the microbiome through specific probiotics designed for women’s health. For insulin function, blood sugar, and inflammation, we can implement dietary changes and use specific nutrients and herbs.

These solutions aren’t just temporary fixes – they’re about creating sustainable changes that help your body maintain optimal health. Whether you choose to use natural hormones or prefer to rely more on herbs and nutrients, we can develop a personalized approach that feels right for you. Some women prioritize hormone replacement, while others prefer minimal hormone use, and both approaches can be effective when properly implemented.

You don’t have to just throw up your hands and say there’s nothing you can do. Through specialty testing that I offer to patients around the world, we can understand exactly how these changes are affecting your body. Then we can support your body using natural hormones in safe and effective ways, or use herbs to support your estrogen and progesterone levels as best we can. We can also use herbs, nutrients, and dietary modifications to support insulin function, reduce inflammation, support your microbiome, and rebalance your cortisol.

Conclusion and Next Steps

HPV doesn’t stand a chance in your body when we bring everything back into balance, including your immune system. Whether in your vagina or the oral area (because HPV can also thrive there), we want to help protect you from head to toe from high-risk HPV virus. To me, HPV-related cancers are completely preventable by taking this comprehensive approach.

I can walk with you side by side through this process and support you now and into the future to fend off HPV, protect yourself from cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, and also protect you from other health issues associated with menopause, including weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and bone loss. All of these conditions can be prevented with the right approach.

You can begin your journey in several ways. 

To learn more about my approach to healing using my Stress Recovery Protocol which involves optimizing cortisol and adrenaline levels to heal the adrenals, as well as neurotransmitters, using nutrients, herbs and C.A.R.E.™ – my proprietary program to support clean eating, adequate sleep, stress recovery and exercise – I encourage you to read all about it in my latest book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health.

I offer free online workshops periodically, typically running for five days, where you can learn more about my approach and start developing your plan. If you don’t want to wait for a live workshop, you can watch my HPV Masterclass immediately – it’s about an hour long and available right away. 

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From there, you might choose to join the Heal HPV Kickstart Program, for the initial steps of my protocol, including diet changes and supplements, over the first 30 days. Find the HPV Support Bundle here. Or you can begin with the comprehensive Say Goodbye to HPV Program, which is 3 months and supports you to implement my full protocol.

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You can also watch my recent Mastering Menopause Masterclass here.

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For those needing one-on-one support, I offer consultations via Zoom or phone from anywhere in the world. I’ve worked with patients from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Europe, Bermuda, Canada, and throughout the United States. My team can help coordinate supplement shipping worldwide, and we can work within your budget to find the right starting point.

Don’t let circumstances prevent you from getting the help you need. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have been dealing with HPV for years, make yourself a priority. Write out or type up a clear plan of action – having a defined plan makes you more likely to achieve your goals. 

Imagine going to your next exam and receiving negative results. Don’t procrastinate or delay treatment; bring yourself to the top of your to-do list and commit to addressing this issue. Take action today, and let us help guide you toward optimal health and HPV clearance.

Remember, you can schedule a time to talk with my team or with me about your specific case. We’ll help determine the best starting point for you, whether it’s the Heal HPV Kickstart Program, the comprehensive program, or one-on-one consultations. 

We can provide guidance on diet changes, supplement dosing, and how to use vaginal suppositories safely and effectively. Let us help you find the path to becoming HPV-negative.

If you’d like to learn more about my protocol to help you heal HPV naturally, visit clearhpvnow.com. There, you’ll find lots of resources and stories from women I’ve worked with and helped clear HPV for good. It worked for them, and it can work for you too.

I welcome you to reach to learn more about becoming a patient or joining one of my group programs. My team is happy to talk it through with you and see what meets your needs best. 

Thanks so much for joining me in this video, and please subscribe to How Humans Heal so you don’t miss the next episode!

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