While HPV infection is the leading cause of cervical cancer, in reality it is very rare for HPV infection to progress to cancer with proper treatment. 60 to 80 % of CIN 1 dysplasias resolve on their own, and only about 1% of cases progress to invasive cervical cancer.
Studies suggest as many as 80% of people will aquire genital HPV. Several estimates have placed the lifetime likelihood of exposure to HPV in the range of 75-90% though most will not show symptoms.
Once no further HPV lesions can be found, and no new lesions appear during the subsequent months, the chance of shedding enough HPV to be contagious dramatically falls.
While it is impossible to tell anyone exactly when they have little-to-no chance of passing HPV to a partner, as months go by with no lesions found (especially if none are found by a skilled clinician), the possibility of being contagious is likely to be increasingly remote even if the virus remains in a latent state.
The inability to be 100% sure that one is no longer contagious should foster honesty whenever a new relationship begins. This should be tempered with the fact that most people are exposed to this virus during their life, and that, for most, this virus does not usually cause great harm.