💬 'I didn’t know how to process and accept what had happened to me” Alice always imagined she’d settle down and have a family But just as she and her partner of 10 years decided to start trying for a baby, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer
HPV can be transferred from any skin-to-skin contact of the genital area, vaginal, anal or oral sex and sharing sex toys. The virus is common – about eight out of 10 people will be infected with it at some point in their lives – and for most it doesn’t cause any problems. Usually, HPV goes away on its own within two years.
She had two months off work and physically recovered well, but the prognosis and surgery had taken a toll on her mental health. “I thought I’m a confident mid-30s woman but I was worried about how people would react about that,” she said.After biting the bullet and using online dating sites, Alice has for two years been with her partner Shaun, who is “incredibly accepting” of the situation. She said: “Actually when I was dating I didn’t come across anyone who had a problem with it.”