Just was informed by current boyfriend that his ex called and told him she had HPV and cervical cancer...All the research I have done says that 80% of the population has HPV and they probably don't know it, but it didn't say anything about if somebody informs somebody that they have cervical cancer from HPV...does this now mean that I was passed the particular strand that causes cervical cancer?

thanks

Hi FlyingFred,

Welcome to the boards! Glad you posted.

Hard question to answer, becuase there's probably no practical way to determine 1) if your boyfriend's ex had HPV while they were together, 2)if your boyfriend in fact contracted HPV, 3) or if he did, if it is currently in a state that can be transmitted to a new partner.

Most sexually active individuals are estimated to have anogenital HPV at some point in their lives, probably up to about 75-80% do, but for most of them the virus will be a harmless infection there body clears naturally, and they'll never be aware of it. Talk with your health care provider to see what type of screening they might recommend for you. If you're female, this likely means regular Pap tests (sometimes done along with HPV DNA tests with women over age 30).

Hope this helps.

Best,
Fredo
HPV Board Moderator

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