Hello BlossomWillow and thanks for posting, 

It is a common reaction to feel bad if you are diagnosed with HPV,  but HPV is a very frequent infection amongst sexually active people and as a result, many of us will have had the virus over our lifetime.

Most of the time our bodies clear the virus , but some people's immune systems might take longer to clear HPV so it can be more persistent. I am not sure if you are due to have another HPV test soon, but if you are and you haven't been tested since 2021, there is quite a good chance that you will have cleared the virus by now.

Condoms can offer some protection against picking up HPV but they aren't perfect. The NHS website explains this here.

I'm not sure if reading around HPV will help, but if you want to, another charity called Jo's Trust has more information about it on their website. Please try and bear in mind that this information exists because HPV is so common. 

It may help to have a chat with your doctor or someone in a sexual health clinic to get more specific advice and information about all of this, as a cancer information service our knowledge on HPV infection and sexual health is limited.

Please do give us a ring if you want to talk anything over. Our number is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and we are around from 9-5, weekdays.

Wishing you the best, 

Julia