Why I’m Getting Tested for HPV Every Year Now: A Personal and Public Reminder
TikTok video from 2022-06-04
Today I want to talk about something personal, something that might just be one of the most important things I’ve ever shared: HPV testing, sexual health, and a wake-up call that hit home.
Not long ago, I took a road trip with my college friend Sandy. She’s a gynecologist, and while we were driving cross-country to our reunion, we had the kind of deep, vulnerable conversation only possible in a car with no distractions—talking about sex, STIs, and the ways women care for (and sometimes neglect) their bodies.
That conversation made me think more seriously about my own care. I realized I hadn’t seen a gynecologist in years—I've been going to Planned Parenthood and my general practitioner for routine pap smears, but I hadn’t done a full gynecological visit in far too long.
So I booked one.
During that appointment, I mentioned casually that my mother died from cancer of the vulva in 2002. The first thing out of the doctor’s mouth was: “That was HPV.”
I froze.
We didn’t know back then. The awareness, the research, the language—none of it was common knowledge in the early 2000s. But hearing those words shook me. My mother didn’t just die of “cancer.” She died of something preventable. And now, I know better.
As a polyamorous woman, I’m sexually active with multiple partners. I’m open about it. I’m proud of the life I’ve built and the love I share. But that also means I need to be extremely proactive about my sexual health—not just for me, but for the people I love.
I had a pap smear three years ago. Guidelines currently suggest one every three to five years. But HPV testing only happens during a pap, and based on what I’ve just learned about my family history and my lifestyle, I’m choosing to get tested every single year.
It doesn’t matter if insurance covers it. It doesn’t matter if it’s “technically” optional. What matters is catching something early. What matters is knowing my body.
If you're reading this, whether you’re poly, monogamous, or somewhere in between—this is your reminder to check in with your body. Book the appointment. Ask the uncomfortable questions. Get the pap smear. Request the HPV test.
And if your doctor brushes you off? Ask again. Push. You know your life and your risks better than anyone.
My mother’s death was tragic, but it can also be a powerful call to action—for me, and maybe for you too.
