Wart transfer questions

[Simon9]

Im a 22 year old healthy male smoker.  I found out about 2 years ago i have what the doctor called 'mini' warts on my face.  It started from my chin in btween my bottom lip and beard area on the right side.  He prescribed Aldara and it cleared up. I don't know how it got on my face, I think from shaving.  He said my girlfriend should have it too. At the time I was with her for for about 5 months. I was too much in shock I guess to really question him at the time like I am now but now its on the left side of my face near my mustache. Recently she went for her next pap smear and it was hard to tell at first if it was normal or not, so thats when she went to a clinic and took another pap smear and was tested for STDs. The 2nd pap smear came back normal but she teasted positive for HPV. Im going crazy because this is on my face and its sexually transmittable i guess from what the doc said. I think I gave it to her even though she has had an abnormal pap smear and cryo-theapy before we met.  She has had an abnormal pap smear and had cryo-threapy while we were together about 7 months ago before she tested for the virus. My questions are 1) Since I have a strand of HPV that puts warts on my face and is sexually transmittable, can I tansfer these warts on my penis or around my anal area or anywhere else? 2) If I gave her HPV, which was probably within the first 2 or 3 months we've been together and she never had any warts anywhere near or on her vagina and its 2 years later Is It possible for her to put the warts thats on my face on my penis since she now has HPV? Its been two years and no warts popped up down there on her or me yet but we only had unprotected sex about ten times and that should have been enough times to see something, right?  I read warts can be in the vagina unnoticable on the inner walls.  She told me the only bumps she gets is whats she calls 'risons'(?). She doesnt know exactly what they are yet but she said she started getting them ever since we been together they popped up so far on her breasts, thighs, upper pubic hair area, stomach, butt cheeks, but not on or near her vagina lips or anal area. They look like very big dark pimples, she pops them and she said they hurt like a big pimple hurts when you touch it and goes away by itself within three weeks to a month at the most. They look nothing like whats on my face.  i know there are different strands of the virus. 3)Wouldn't she have the same strand or warts as me if she got it from me?  The only HPV related problem she has had so far is mild cell changes that caused the abnormal pap smears 4)Can these warts on my face grow up into my eyes, on my eye lids or on my lips? It looks bad enough where it is now. The warts on my face are so tiny, but are noticable looking at them real close, red from the Aldara or flaky when left dry.  5)Do you suggest putting vaseline or cocoa butter on them after I wash off the Aldara in the morning or leave dry to flake up. Please help me out Doc.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Your doctor is incorrect.  Flat warts are usually not transmissible, sexually or otherwise.  When I see patients who have them--and I see many--partners (if there are any) never have them.  Some people get them on the hands, or arms, or legs.  If you could spread warts by touching, all of us would be covered with warts, just from taking a shower.

If your girlfriend has HPV, it may be from a prior sexual contact--it's impossible to say with certainty.  If you've never had visible penile warts, then there's no way to know whether you have penile HPV too, and nothing to do about it in any case.  But she didn't get cervical HPV from your face.  As for the bumps she gets elsewhere, they certainly don't sound like warts.  Please also ask her to stop popping them, so someone who examines her can tell what they are.  They sound like blocked follicles.

Please go to a dermatologist and have her do the same.  You need a precise diagnosis and accurate information, so you can stop what sounds to me like entirely unnecessary worry.  If your current doctor insists that facial warts "could" be transferred to another person, ask him or her how often he or she has actually seen that happen and how many times he has seen it not happen.  Then get another opinion.

By the way, I often advise people with facial warts to not treat them, because they keep coming back despite treatment, and in the end they invariably disappear on their own.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[Simon9]

Thank you doctor! I knew something didnt sound right.  I will definitely do everything that you said to do. I have another question if it is alright.  I know it is difficult to test men for HPV without the presnces of bumps, but 1)how is a woman tested for HPV if she never had warts?, 2)is it a separate test along with the Pap Smear test?  3)Can she be diagnosed with HPV if her 2nd pap smear result was normal?
She seems confused and can't exactly tell me how they diagnosed her.  From what she told me, the people at the clinic gave her another pap smear test, which came back normal, but because she told them of her past couple of abnormal pap smears, multiple yeast infections, and 'risons' (whatever they are)it seems like they just told her it 'could' be HPV and didn't really test her for HPV itself.  They could have tested her for other STDs but I'm not sure if HPV was one of them.  So, 4)could they have tested her for HPV itself or are there HPV tests for women without warts at clinics, in this case, after a normal pap smear result?  She couldn't really explain to me in detail exactly what type of testing they did, she didn't have any paper work or anything, and this has me confused.  I wanted to ask you first these things before I re-question her.  *Also, she smokes a lot of marijuana (in rolled up cigar leaves, if that matters), maybe an average of two per day since she was about sixteen.  She didn't mention this to the people at the clinic.  Other than the major affects of this drug on her, 5)could this possibly affect her bi-yearly pap smear testing, give her multiple yeast infections, or give her these so-called 'risons'?  We've been together for almost two and a half years, doc, and we never had any signs or bumps relating to genital HPV or warts.  I know that gential HPV or warts can also affect the cervix, but if she possibly could have HPV from a past sexual encounter, 6)could it just be cervical or could cervical HPV also give you warts, and we just haven't had outbreaks yet?   I appreciate your help greatly, doctor.  Thank you again.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

As far as I know, Pap testing is the way to find HPV.  I suggest your girlfriend see a different GYN, have her other records released to the new doctor, and ask the new doctor to make sense of it all.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[Bdome]

A related discussion, WARTS was started.