 [ Symptoms ] can hpv lay dormant in your system and for how long  can the virus lay dormant in your system and not show up for years later im married and have been with the same partner for the last 4 years and all my paps have come back normal until now this concerns me [ Disease ] i am sorry you are dealing with an abnormal pap smear result before i get to your questions about hpv let is back up for just a moment an abnormal pap smear does not necessarily indicate you have human papillomavirus hpv the pap test specifically screens women for cervical cancer an abnormal pap result does not mean you have cervical cancer in fact most abnormal pap test results are not cancer at all certainly hpv can cause cervical cancer however you need to receive a special test not unlike a pap test actually in which the cells of your cervix are tested for hpv in answer to your question hpv is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases the centers for disease control estimate as many as 50 of sexually active men and women get hpv at some point in their lives often people who are infected with it have no symptoms so while it is not exactly true to say hpv can lie dormant in your system it is accurate to say you can be infected with hpv and live with it for many years without knowing it your gynecologist probably will want to discuss your abnormal pap test result with you when that happens you will have the opportunity to discuss your concerns about hpv i hope you find this response helpful