I've been with my husband, faithfully, for 17 years. He has been faithful, too. I've never had a bad pap or problems with my gyn exams. Last year I was diagnosed with high risk HPV. Yes, it can remain dormant for years (or decades). Or, perhaps it hasn't really been dormant, it just hasn't been detected. Afterall, the HPV dna test was approved by the FDA only 4-5 years ago and doctors are just beginning to offer it to women (esp those over 30) at their annual paps.