HPV question

My last sexual partner told me she had cevical cancer two years prior to meeting me. She told me is was hereditary and I thought nothing of it. I moved on from that relationship, currently my current girl friend just found out that she has HPV due to an abnormal pap and also external genetal warts. After doing research I determined that Cervical cancer is not hereditary and I am worried that I passed on HPV to my current girlfriend due to my past relationship. My question is since my last relationship had cervical cancer, does this mean that my current girlfriend has a high risk strain that could possibly lead to cervical cancer. Im very worried? Also can you confirm that cervical cancer is in no way hereditary, because I called my last sexual partner and she got very defensive when I told her it wasnt hereditary. Thanks for all your help

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Cervical cancer is due to HPV, but still might be partly hereditary; the two possibilities aren't mutually exclusive.  Similarly, a smoker may be more likely to get lung cancer if a parent or sibling had cancer.  Such familial trends hese don't mean that HPV doesn't cause cervical cancer or that smoking doesn't cause lung cancer, just that a person with a family history is more susceptible.

The chance is very low that you carried HPV for more than 2 years and now will transmit it to your current partner.  The vast majority of HPV infections clear up on their own--at least to a level that is transmitted rarely or never--within a few months.

Good luck--  HHH, MD