When Julie* found out she had the human papillomavirus, better known as HPV, she was alone at college in a foreign country. “I opened up a letter saying I had level II abnormalities, and I didn’t know what it meant. I’d had my pap smear, my doctor said everything looked great and then I received a piece of paper saying I had genital warts. Needless to say, I freaked out.”

Julie’s not the only person freaking out. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80 percent of all women may become infected with HPV at least once by age fifty. But what is HPV and how do you find out if you have it, prevent it or get rid of it?

What your results mean.
Pap tests show the presence or absence of abnormal cells on the cervix, most commonly caused by HPV. HPV has the potential to cause genital warts and, in extreme cases, cervical cancer. If the results of your pap smear are “abnormal” you should make a follow-up appointment. There, they will retest and give you more specific information.

If you’re diagnosed with HPV, your mind will undoubtedly be going a mile a minute. The key is to remain calm and realize that a diagnosis doesn’t necessarily mean cancer. There are over 100 known strains of HPV; only 30 can infect the genital area in men and women, and even fewer will lead to cervical cancer. Here’s more good news: Depending on the strain, it can clear up on its own, and if the follow-up results come back normal, you can say sayonara until next year.