How to Tell Your Partner You Have HPV

Since the human papilloma virus (HPV) is highly contagious, you should speak with your partner if you have been diagnosed. Trying to tell your partner that you have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) can be frightening and difficult, so you should prepare yourself for the discussion.

Instructions

Learn All You Can About HPV

• 1

  Speak with your doctor about your HPV diagnosis. After an HPV test, your doctor should be able to tell you if the strain of virus you have will lead to genital warts or may cause cervical cancer.

• 2

  Visit the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as a starting point for web research on HPV (see Resources below). The CDC will always provide the most up to date information available.

• 3

  Print out the statistics, the risks and the prevention methods to share with your partner. Any articles that you find interesting, your partner will as well. Provide him with as much information as possible, but give him time to do his own research as well.

Tell Your Partner You Have HPV

• 4

  Gather all the information you can about HPV and have it handy when you speak with your partner. While he may have a hard time with your diagnosis, he may feel more comfortable with the facts presented clearly.

• 5

  Find a quiet time when the two of you are alone and will not be interrupted. Letting your partner know that you have a contagious, sexually transmitted infection is hard on both of the parties involved. You should make sure that you pass on the information when the two of you are alone.

• 6

  Give your partner time to react after you tell him you have HPV. It is perfectly normal for a person to initially react negatively to the news. Stay calm and let the person know that you need him during this time.

• 7

  Be honest with your partner. If you have the strain of HPV that causes genital warts, you must let him know. Even if you don't, and you show no symptoms at all, you still need to let him know that you are carrying the virus.

• 8

  Discuss with your partner how to proceed with sex. Some people may choose to avoid sex all together, instead finding other ways to be intimate. You should make the decisions together and support each other's opinions on the matter.