I read a lot of questions about disclosure. I've recently done a ton of research on HPV (non-warts strains - spanakopita555 has far better information about these strains than I do) and spoken to four medical doctors for information. This is a bit long and repetitive.

Let me start this conversation that, in my opinion, if you choose to disclose a previous positive HPV test to a partner and they dump you they are revealing themselves, it is their choice, says absolutely nothing about you or your worth, and you honestly probably don't want to be with someone who cannot support you in a time of need and likely distress.

First and foremost, we need to understand that HPV testing is cancer screening and, aside from a case of active warts, the test only indicates detectable activity of the virus at the time of testing (just like a covid or flu test - these tests, when positive, obviously don't mean you have covid or flu for life. HPV is the same). HPV testing is nearly useless in the realm of common STI disclosure, because it functions so differently from the commonly tested for STIs and STDs (btw HPV is not included in standard STI screenings, and for a reason).

You can test negative at your recent papsmear and literally have the virus become active the next month, have sex with people during that time, pass it along, even with protection, (with the chances of them or you ever in your lifetime getting symptoms being statistically extremely low), and your immune system will statistically clear it within 1 year, 2 at the most. Then in 3 to 5 years at your next papsmear you test negative again and just never know that you had an active strain for, let's say, 2 years. But you felt super confident about having sex because you had a negative HPV test, right?

Now, let's consider what changes when you test positive at a papsmear. The doctors screen you more frequently for cervical cell changes due to the risk of cancer. Instead of every 3 to 5 years, maybe you go in annually. And at the point in time you receive the positive HPV test, you usually have no clue how long the virus has been active prior to that date and you don't know how long it will be until it clears after that point. Your immune system may clear it the next month after the positive result, so had your papsmear been a month later, you might have tested negative! It's just like a covid or flu test, point in time, and unique compared to other STIs in that regard. Doctors only care about the HPV result to determine the risk of cervical cancer. Literally.

That's why most doctors don't recommend disclosing - it's inaccurate as a "status" disclosure and medically there's not much to be done about the HPV itself, which is ubiquitous in the population with an incredibly high percent of sexually active adults getting a strain or strains in their lifetime (realistically between 80 and 100%).

I think it's much better to just ask if partners have had their 2 or 3 shots of the Gardasil 9, and make it a standard that they get that in order to sleep together.

I will say that all of this is in the context on non-warts cases. Warts are a clear sign of active infection, so disclosure and discussion, between partners and with your doctors is highly recommended.

At the end of the day, your past HPV positive test is nearly irrelevant to the possible current viral activity and the burden of non-wart strain disclosure falls almost solely to women because we are tested during cancer screenings (again, HPV tests done during paps are not STI tests but cancer risk screening tools).

To reiterate, putting the burden on women around disclosing previous positive tests is absurd because the information is nearly useless and is irrelevant to any actual current HPV "status". The actual risk of developing symptoms or cancer is very low in men and women. And doctors can't treat HPV, only the symptoms if they crop up. Hence, the minimal testing.

Once the immune system clears the virus, as it does in the vast majority of cases, you're good. But women's doctors might not test them again until a year or more after the initial positive result, and, if it comes back negative, it's anyone's guess as to exactly when the virus was cleared during that time. And sometimes the body will clear one strain, but a new strain will crop up after that, and the person will test positive but for a different strain this time. There are so many variables and unknowns with HPV.

Individuals need to take responsibility for their own health and talk to their doctors about the various risks of sex, and the means available to reduce their risk of adverse effects (this means getting the vaccine in the case of HPV). They should also reasonably assume that they and everyone else they engage in sexual activity with likely has or has had HPV and that they will share strains with each other over time. This will still be the case even if one or both partners tested negative for HPV at the last test for the reasons I explained above. They need to not blame women for not sharing something that the woman herself can't even know for sure, and absolutely not blame or shame a partner for not mentioning the existence of an HPV vaccine.

If you want to be a good partner, get vaccinated proactively and perhaps ask after your new partner's vaccination status if you're concerned. You could ask if they are willing to get vaccinated to protect themselves from the 9 strains (especially 16/18 which are related to up to 80% of HPV caused cancer). And if you want to set a boundary around having a vaccinated partner, that's totally fine, too. Vaccination is currently the best way to minimize adverse outcomes from the HPV you and everyone else who is sexually active already has or will have. Condom use may reduce transmission rate some, but not 100%.

There are some really informative posts about this in r/HPV, by the way. And just talk to your doctor about the realities of HPV. As I mentioned, I spoke with four different medical doctors about it recently, and the information above is a lot of what I came away with. They ALL stated disclosure is medically unnecessary and (speaking only to non-warts cases) that a woman who had a positive HPV test can continue to engage in sexual activity as usual. The other key takeaway was that everyone should get vaccinated.

Vaccination, papsmears, and seeing your doctor for any other symptoms reduce cancer rates, not the knowing or not knowing your so-called "HPV status." Women should be able to live shame-free without the burden of disclosure. I maintain that stance until the medical field develops (1) common STI testing (NOT cancer screening) for HPV for all sexes (so the burden of dislosure can be shared by all - and then we'll really start seeing the prevalence of this virus and/or (2) comes up with a treatment for the HPV, not it's symptoms.

Please be a little more at peace with yourselves and release your stress around the HPV - focus on keeping yourself healthy, strengthening your immune system, not smoking, exercising, getting enough sleep. Get your papsmears done regularly and take action to advocate for your health!

Love to you all.