Do I tell my partner I have high risk HPV?

[Anotherusername507]

I have been with my partner a year, I did an STD test before we started having unprotected sex and it was all clear. I have since had an abnormal smear and a colposcopy and found out I have HPV a high risk one but not the 16 or 18 which are the very high risk ones.
Obviously my partner and I have had lots of unprotected sex and oral sex. Do I tell him now about it? And possibly lose him also? There is also no test for men and I don't want to alarm him unnecessarily.
But I also feel uneasy not telling him, he has probably already caught it. I'm terrified of him dumping me over this or it affecting our sex life which is amazing. Please help. I am also getting the HPV vaccine asap.

I’m confused. About 90% of people have this at some point. It’s like a cold and usually your immune system can clear it. It’s not a STD as such though it is passed on through sexual contact.

Not everyone clears it, in some people it stays and can cause cancer.

OP, viruses replicate very quickly and it’s very possible it could be detected within a few weeks of catching it. Or it could remain dormant for years. It’s impossible to know if you have it to him, or he gave it to you. It’s extremely common and in most cases as previous poster said most people do clear it.

To put it in context, if you had glandular fever as a kid that virus stays in your body forever and can also cause cancer in a very small number of people. I would try not to worry about it, but definitely tell him.

This post says everything about you. Everything. And nothing about OP.

I told him and he took it really well , just worried about when he goes to read up about it properly as he didn't really know much about it.
I feel relieved. I'm also getting the HPV Vaccine, I know it may be too little too late but worth getting it I think.

I genuinely thought he was going to be disgusted with me and storm out but he didn't , thank goodness.

It’s really not a big deal. Most people have it at some point so you’d really be limiting your options if that was a dealbreaker! I had it six months ago and I’ve cleared it now, like most people do. Keep up with your smear tests. Not an issue.

@Fatsnowflake thank you for the reassurance, can I ask how you cleared it? I have one of the high risk ones , not 16 or 18 though..

I thought it's always there, but only infectious if it flares up.

No the high risk HPV that’s linked to cervical cancer is not always there. That’s all that’s tested for in smear tests now. Your immune system usually clears it. I had some high risk cells lasered off and the HPV went too. Most people who have ever had sexual contact will have its at some point.

They do also do a visual check - it was through a standard smear test that they saw a cervical polyp and referred me to gynae for its treatment.

Yes if they see anything unusual they’ll refer. My visual check was fine but I was HPV positive so the cells were tested and were CIN 2/3.

It isn’t the same strain that causes genital warts; it’s not classed as an STD; it’s not a real risk to a male partner - if they’ve had sex with more than one person they’ll have had it anyway and it’s nothing you have to ‘confess.’

It could easily show up quickly

Most HPV resolves itself - stop panicking

Not necessarily,there's no way of telling. Yes, discuss it with your partner OP.