LASIK Surgery Health Chat: Tuesday, December 15th 5:00-6:00 PM Eastern. Free live Q&A with Dr. Omar E Awad. Ask your question in advance!
Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum.  ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Dermatology  (Expert Forum)
 | 
Genital Warts or vaginal bruising complications?
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center Brookline - MA
Welcome to the DERMATOLOGY FORUM! Questions in this forum are answered by Dermatologists from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, under the direction of Andrew Alexis, M.D., M.P.H.

Genital Warts or vaginal bruising complications?

by Denominator, Sep 12, 2006 12:00AM
I've been having sex with a girl for the past 7 months, first 5 months protected, last 2 unprotected (she lost it to a virgin).  About 6 weeks ago, July 20th, after a session of sex, she was more sore than usual and felt she might have torn something, though nothing too serious.  Two days after this episode, she felt 5-6 bumps appear in the spot where the bruising occurred.  She had had a pap smear approximately 6 weeks prior to this in early June and the results were negative.  A week after the bumps appeared she went to her gynecologist who did a visual inspection and concluded that it was probably the result of vaginal bruising and it would take a while to heal.  Last week, 5 weeks after the initial occurrence, she went to another gynecologist and had the area inspected.  About 4 of the bumps had disappeared but two still remained inside her vaginal opening on opposite sides, near the anus.  The two remaining bumps have decreased in size.  She says they do not itch, are relatively small in size, and protrude slightly.  There is no noticeable pus. The gynecologist said she thought it looked like it could be warts but she needed to do a test to be sure.  When she mentioned the bruising to her, the gynecologist said that might be a possible cause as well.  

Some more information:  I had protected sex with another partner around June 20th.  Though we are not exclusive, the girl I'm currently seeing says she has not been with anyone else since we've been together and lost her virginity to another virgin.  

She is going to have the two remaining bumps tested on wednesday in case they are genital warts but I can't sleep or do anything until I know what they are.  Do they sound like genital warts?  

My main questions are:
1)  Is it possible for some genital warts to disappear and others to shrink after only 4 weeks untreated?

2)  Are the bumps related to the vaginal bruising or is it a coincidence that the bumps appeared there 2 days after the incident (mid-july)?  Especially since the pap smear in June proved negative.  Tearing the site seems plausible for introducing the HPV to her, if i have it, but a 2 day incubation period seems too soon.  Is it really just a coincidence?  

3)  6 weeks passed between her last pap test and the appearance of the bumps.  4 weeks passed before we started having unprotected sex. Since we had protected sex for 5 months without her showing any symptoms, I'm assuming if it was warts, it was caused by the switch to condomless sex.  

Does a two week incubation period seem too quick to be warts?  
Even if the warts were introduced by the new sexual partner in late june, that would still only leave a 4 week incubation period which is on the fast end of visible symptoms.

Am I just rationalizing?  Sorry for the long question but I wanted to be thorough.  



by Alan Rockoff, MD, Sep 13, 2006 12:00AM
I don't think the bumps you're talking about sound anything like warts.  Her gynecologist, who saw the bumps, didn't think so either.  So why worry?

Yes, by the way, two weeks is too short for it to be an incubation period for warts.

Avoiding unprotected sex is a good idea, physically and psychologically.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff
Member Comments (2)

by Denominator, Sep 13, 2006 12:00AM
additional info:  the night we had sex, a lesion was created and the bumps appeared 2 days later inside and around the lesion.  Can warts grow inside lesions?
Continue discussion
RSS Expert Activity
Simple tool to Assess your Risk for...
5 hrs ago by Lee Kirksey, MD
Premium IOLs have a disproportionat...
19 hrs ago by John C Hagan III, MD, FACS
EyeNet Article about MedHelp.com Ey...
Dec 13 by John C Hagan III, MD, FACS