Any time you’re told you have cancer, it’s not good news. Even if you catch it early and it’s only in the beginning stages, all you hear is the word “cancer.” And no matter how many people try to reassure you, it’s still very scary.

When I was diagnosed with HPV-related cervical cancer in the summer of 2016, everything that comes along with that word ran through my mind: What am I going to do? What effects will it have on me? Am...