We all hope the awkwardness is over after we get our Pap and HPV tests. So hearing that you have tested positive for HPV can be a blow. What happens next?

Well, for one, you’re not alone.

“More than 80% of people will be infected at some point in their lifetime,” says gynecologic oncologist Lois Ramondetta, M.D.

The good news is that, in most cases, your immune system clears the virus before any health problems...