Marks on shaft, also near head of penis

I am a sexually active 21 year old. I have noticed small white, wart like growths on the shaft of my penis, and one very close to the head. They do not resemble any picture I have ever seen of Genital warts, yet I have heard they can vary in appearance. I am currently in a relationsip and am having unprotected sex with my girlfriend frequently. We were both STD tested at the start of our relationship 11 months ago and came up clean. I have, however, heard that HPV can have a long incubation period, and one of us could have had it and not shown signs til now. I had only ever had unprotected ORAL contact with other women before this relationship. How probable is it that I could have contracted HPV this way? I have read that HPV usually begins to show within 3 months, how common is it that it should take this long to show up?
I am also prone to get skin tags. I have several skin tags (That I or my girlfriend have spotted) on other parts of my body, those around my genital region resemble pictures I have seen of them. But is it common to get skin tags on the penis itself? Would genital warts show more of an "outbreak" or are they likely to show up in small amounts one at a time? I have also read that skin tags are usually skin coloured or brown. Can they be white? Also, my girlfriend has never shown any symptoms of HPV what so ever. Should I be reassured by this or is this simply the nature of the condition?

As you can tell I'm a bit worried and have a head full of questions, I have an appointment with a dermatologist which I will certainly attend, but I need some answers now... Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

The best I can tell you is that white bumps of the sort you describe are common and normal on many penises.  Definitive diagnosis will have to await your dermatology visit, but I don't think you'll get any unpleasant news there.  Skin tags, by the way, usually affect the groin folds, not the penis itself.

Safe sex does not prevent the spread of HPV.  If you have sex with a partner who has HPV or was exposed to it, you might get it too, someday.  There is no certain guarantee of not contracting HPV other than not having sex.  But that still doesn't mean you have HPV now.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff