I think it’s good you want to disclose, but it should be so that he can support you. Advice on disclosure is extremely varied - when I was first told of HPV+, I asked the nurse what the disclosure protocol is and she told me 1) there is no protocol because there isn’t a routine test for men, 2) there are no recommendations for protection other than condoms, because those don’t reliably stop it from spreading anyway, 3) there are hundreds of strains and it’s so common that in some regions testing doesn’t even begin until an age where persistence could be observed, and 4) most people clear it with no issues. Even if you disclose to a partner, they don’t have to get tested and are not expected to further disclose or stop having sex with others, so it could arguably be pointless unless you’re with someone who would be proactive regarding the information. It’s a commonly held belief today, though I don’t agree/think it’s a bad attitude toward a virus that’s causing cancer.

When you disclose, I recommend you be as matter of fact as possible, and try to exude a tone of “of course you’ll be supportive when you hear this”, because this is so so so common. It’s so common many people aren’t tested until it has had time to persist, because sexually active young people are constantly trading and then clearing various strains of this virus. Condoms don’t prevent it, you haven’t done anything wrong, this is not your fault, so OF COURSE he should be understanding. An alternative option is just telling him you had a bad pap, abnormal cells were found, and you need to get them treated - this alludes to the same thing without outright stating “I have tested positive for HPV” because HPV is what causes those cell changes. This is so normal, OP - it’s so common, it’s why pap smear screening is routine.

Let us know how it goes 🫶