My Experience with HPV
I didn't read all the replies to this thread, but I feel like I can contribute.
When I got pregnant with my first child, I was told I had an HPV (genital wart) infection. Neither my husband nor I had even noticed it, the "infection" looked just like normal tissue! But they tested it and it was positive.
At this point in time, I was in a monogamous relationship with my husband, who had only 2 other sexual partners in his 40-year old life, and I had only 2 other sexual partners as well. I've always had yearly PAP smears, etc... So I was completely shocked and devastated that I had an STD! I was reassured by the doctor that it's completely normal and that most adults have some form of HPV, and it's not much to worry about since it's a non-cancerous strain anyway. Since my immune system was down temporarily due to pregnancy, the expectation was that it would go away after I recovered from childbirth. However, it's so contagious that my son could get it just from simply existing in my womb! That made me very sad.
Fast forward to now, I am pregnant again and once again experiencing a "flare up." I am still uncomfortable with the fact that my son and daughter-to-be could catch this STD simply by being in the womb (vaginal or cesarean section deliveries could both transmit the disease.) And now I find myself involved with another woman...
I was upfront about it with her. Before our first date, I mentioned that we had it. We talked about the risks and she made up her own mind that it wasn't any big deal and certainly not a deal-breaker. I was embarrassed bringing it up, because I know some people may balk at dating a person known to have HPV (even though chances are good that she already has it). However, I believe in complete disclosure. If someone knew they had it and didn't tell me, I would be very disappointed and consider leaving the relationship... not because of the HPV but because hiding information isn't that far from lying in my book.