Having HPV simply means you, like so many others, have been exposed to a common virus.
It is not a reflection on you, your character, or your values, and conversations with partners should not be viewed as making a “confession” or offering an “apology”.
Testing options for HPV are limited and most cases are never diagnosed.
Some health care providers apply an acetic wash (vinegar) as a means of highlighting lesions, but this is not a specific test for HPV and may lead to overdiagnosis.HPV DNA testing is not currently approved to test infection status.HPV tests are approved for clinical use with women as 1) follow-up with unclear Pap test results or 2) as primary screening for those over age 30.It may also be a good idea to have resources to which you can direct a partner, so you know they turn to trustworthy sources for information.In addition to NCCC’s Web pages, see our Resources page for more sites with HPV information.