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Inner foreskin abrasion???
Hi All,
If anyone can help me out it'd be appreciated as I am new to the whole online health forum thing.
A bit of history on myself. I was recently diagnosed (about a month ago) with HPV. I am not too concerned about this as I have spoken with multiple dermatologists and they informed me that once I've successfully treated my visible symptoms (about two raised bumps on the shaft of my penis), then my body should build up enough of an immunity to rid itself completely of the virus.
Now to my main concern. I am a 23 year old uncircumcised male and have not practiced the safest sex in the past but have most definately learned my lesson from my HPV encounter and have been abstaining for the time being for the past 3 months or so. My question is that I had noticed on the underside of my foreskin a slight cut/abrasion (this first happened about 6 months ago). Where I had initially noticed this was what I think to be my frenulum (the piece of skin connecting my foreskin to the penis head). What I noticed about this was that this sypmtom seemed to get worse at different points during the day (like when I would get out of a hot shower.) I had gone to my primary care physician multiple times to sort this out but by the time I would get to his office he would examine me and say that he didn't notice anything visible enough to make a definate diagnosis. He said that this could be herpes but he wasn't going to say one way or the other as my "cut" did not appear to be open at the time. He also said that if it were herpes, than my symptoms would not go away from the time I went to work in the morning to the time I arrived at his office in the evening. To test for myself though whether or not this cut was open, I put rubbing alcohol on it and holy **** did it burn like hell which led me to believe that this was open.
It took this abrasion about a week and a half to two weeks to fully heal and I believe that this may be because I had constantly been examining myself about 10-15 times/day, (stretching the skin, turning my penis over, etc.) I think it's important to note that this particular abrasion did not seem to spread. It came back about a month later but I honestly would have never noticed it had I not been looking. I also noticed some other tiny nicks and scratches beneath the foreskin but those cuts would heal in approximately 3-5 days or so. My doctor had said that if these nicks and scratches were in fact herpes, my symptoms would not come and go so rapidly but rather stay put for a couple of weeks.
This really began to bother me as I would have liked to get a definate answer on this so I went to see two different dermatologists. The one took a swab of one of the minor scratches I had down there to test for herpes which came back negative. They also both told me that if I had herpes that I'd know it since it would appear as an open sore or a blister. (Note: I've never noticed an open sore persay or blister but rather just minor cuts and one larger cut on the shaft portion of my frenulum). What confuses me is that from what I've read, it appears as though people can have herpes and not even know it which is I guess the reason for my obsession over this. This has also led me to wonder why my dermatologists would have said that if I had herpes I'd know it because I'd have an open sore that would hurt like hell.
Both dermatologists had informed me though that abrasions/cuts beneath the foreskin are a common condition for uncircumcised men as the skin beneath the foreskin tends to be more sensitive and more likely to tear or split during intercourse or masturbation. Now I've been refraining from sex for a while, as I would obviously feel horrible if I happened to infect someone else, but I have been masturbating quite frequently for the past couple of years or so. It's strange but I'm kind of bothered at the fact that if this is so common then why have I not noticed any additional scratches or cuts after masturbating so frequently??? Could I have been experiencing this because of dry skin beneath my foreskin which could have cracked or split???
I've been known to be a little bit of a worrier over certain issues but this is one item that I am not going to dismiss so quickly. I went and had an HIV test and got examined for other STD's which all came back negative. From what I've posted does it appear as though I'm worrying needlessly or does this in fact merit my worried attitude at the moment? Any advice/feedback would be greatly appreciated. My apologies for the length of this post but I wanted to ensure I gave an accurate overview of where I'm at.
Thanks Again!
If anyone can help me out it'd be appreciated as I am new to the whole online health forum thing.
A bit of history on myself. I was recently diagnosed (about a month ago) with HPV. I am not too concerned about this as I have spoken with multiple dermatologists and they informed me that once I've successfully treated my visible symptoms (about two raised bumps on the shaft of my penis), then my body should build up enough of an immunity to rid itself completely of the virus.
Now to my main concern. I am a 23 year old uncircumcised male and have not practiced the safest sex in the past but have most definately learned my lesson from my HPV encounter and have been abstaining for the time being for the past 3 months or so. My question is that I had noticed on the underside of my foreskin a slight cut/abrasion (this first happened about 6 months ago). Where I had initially noticed this was what I think to be my frenulum (the piece of skin connecting my foreskin to the penis head). What I noticed about this was that this sypmtom seemed to get worse at different points during the day (like when I would get out of a hot shower.) I had gone to my primary care physician multiple times to sort this out but by the time I would get to his office he would examine me and say that he didn't notice anything visible enough to make a definate diagnosis. He said that this could be herpes but he wasn't going to say one way or the other as my "cut" did not appear to be open at the time. He also said that if it were herpes, than my symptoms would not go away from the time I went to work in the morning to the time I arrived at his office in the evening. To test for myself though whether or not this cut was open, I put rubbing alcohol on it and holy **** did it burn like hell which led me to believe that this was open.
It took this abrasion about a week and a half to two weeks to fully heal and I believe that this may be because I had constantly been examining myself about 10-15 times/day, (stretching the skin, turning my penis over, etc.) I think it's important to note that this particular abrasion did not seem to spread. It came back about a month later but I honestly would have never noticed it had I not been looking. I also noticed some other tiny nicks and scratches beneath the foreskin but those cuts would heal in approximately 3-5 days or so. My doctor had said that if these nicks and scratches were in fact herpes, my symptoms would not come and go so rapidly but rather stay put for a couple of weeks.
This really began to bother me as I would have liked to get a definate answer on this so I went to see two different dermatologists. The one took a swab of one of the minor scratches I had down there to test for herpes which came back negative. They also both told me that if I had herpes that I'd know it since it would appear as an open sore or a blister. (Note: I've never noticed an open sore persay or blister but rather just minor cuts and one larger cut on the shaft portion of my frenulum). What confuses me is that from what I've read, it appears as though people can have herpes and not even know it which is I guess the reason for my obsession over this. This has also led me to wonder why my dermatologists would have said that if I had herpes I'd know it because I'd have an open sore that would hurt like hell.
Both dermatologists had informed me though that abrasions/cuts beneath the foreskin are a common condition for uncircumcised men as the skin beneath the foreskin tends to be more sensitive and more likely to tear or split during intercourse or masturbation. Now I've been refraining from sex for a while, as I would obviously feel horrible if I happened to infect someone else, but I have been masturbating quite frequently for the past couple of years or so. It's strange but I'm kind of bothered at the fact that if this is so common then why have I not noticed any additional scratches or cuts after masturbating so frequently??? Could I have been experiencing this because of dry skin beneath my foreskin which could have cracked or split???
I've been known to be a little bit of a worrier over certain issues but this is one item that I am not going to dismiss so quickly. I went and had an HIV test and got examined for other STD's which all came back negative. From what I've posted does it appear as though I'm worrying needlessly or does this in fact merit my worried attitude at the moment? Any advice/feedback would be greatly appreciated. My apologies for the length of this post but I wanted to ensure I gave an accurate overview of where I'm at.
Thanks Again!
See - it didn't go as bad as you thought it would did it?
I'm glad you talked to her about this. Being open and honest and communicating well in a relationship is one of the most important parts of having one.
grace
I'm glad you talked to her about this. Being open and honest and communicating well in a relationship is one of the most important parts of having one.
grace
Hi Grace,
So I thought I'd let you know that I came clean to this girl and told her what was up. She also told me that she had gotten HPV and is still monitored for it and that she is actually taking her third round of Gardisil sometime this June. We've agreed that we're going to use condoms for a while until we're both confident that our conditions have subsided and will essentially just take this thing one day at a time. But I am relieved to finally have this weight off my chest as I know I would've felt terrible without having told her before we engaged in intercourse. Hope all is well. Thanks again for the advice.
-Andy
So I thought I'd let you know that I came clean to this girl and told her what was up. She also told me that she had gotten HPV and is still monitored for it and that she is actually taking her third round of Gardisil sometime this June. We've agreed that we're going to use condoms for a while until we're both confident that our conditions have subsided and will essentially just take this thing one day at a time. But I am relieved to finally have this weight off my chest as I know I would've felt terrible without having told her before we engaged in intercourse. Hope all is well. Thanks again for the advice.
-Andy
Thanks for the detailed response and I appreciate your elaboration on how HPV becomes dormant/non-detectable after some time. My course of action at this point is going to be to tell this girl that I really care about her and her well being and that I'd like to just hold off on the physical aspect of the relationship until we've built up a bit more intimacy (as prude as that sounds). I'm going to be going to the doctor's again and discuss this with them. I guess the reason I've been downplaying this as much as I have been was because when I first went to the one doctor, she took a biopsy of a "wart" that was on my guy and that came back as HPV. I had another doctor take another biopsy of another type of "wart-like" growth and it came back negative for HPV, which is what I'm being treated for right now. Although, I went back to the first doctor and she said that these growths regardless look like they can be related.
BTW - when I had this thing biopsyed and it came back as HPV positive I was also informed that this is a low-risk strain (I've also read that the types of HPV that cause warts are not the same as the types that lead to cervical cancer). I just didn't want to rush into spilling my guts about this when I don't even know if it would have been absolutely necessary. Just so you understand, if there is even the slightest risk that I could pass these things on to this girl, I will of course disclose this information and just inform her that it's being taken care of, it isn't a forever like situation, and that I respect her and want her to be able to make the decision for herself because that's the sort of respect anyone deserves I think. My dermatologist (who is a women btw) did indicate that since I only have a couple of benign growths that are only on my shaft that I could proceed with protected intercourse and not be at risk for transmitting them as the condom would cover these benign growths, however, I am going to wait until my next visit so that she can further assess my situation and then I will go from there. Thanks again for the comments.
Best,
Andy
BTW - when I had this thing biopsyed and it came back as HPV positive I was also informed that this is a low-risk strain (I've also read that the types of HPV that cause warts are not the same as the types that lead to cervical cancer). I just didn't want to rush into spilling my guts about this when I don't even know if it would have been absolutely necessary. Just so you understand, if there is even the slightest risk that I could pass these things on to this girl, I will of course disclose this information and just inform her that it's being taken care of, it isn't a forever like situation, and that I respect her and want her to be able to make the decision for herself because that's the sort of respect anyone deserves I think. My dermatologist (who is a women btw) did indicate that since I only have a couple of benign growths that are only on my shaft that I could proceed with protected intercourse and not be at risk for transmitting them as the condom would cover these benign growths, however, I am going to wait until my next visit so that she can further assess my situation and then I will go from there. Thanks again for the comments.
Best,
Andy
I think some of your comments that you addressed to me were actually to waring but nonetheless I certainly 2nd her comment that's for sure!!
Depending on what type of hpv you have that caused the obvious warts - depends on how long you need to wait to consider yourself "clear" of the virus. It's not as simple as remove the warts and ta da you are "clear" by that evening or soon after. On average it takes about 10 months for the most common low risk forms of genital hpv to clear themselves with most being completely cleared by 1 1/3 years or so ( the high risk strains usually take longer , same as if you have a coinfection with multiple strains of hpv it prolongs how long until both are cleared from the body - see JID may 15th issue for a terrific abstract on this and a search on pubmed.gov will also provide many, many articles that are current and up to date on hpv clearance ). The advice I usually give folks is if you had them removed and they haven't reoccured within a year then consider it no longer an issue. More than enough research out there showing that if you have signs of warts again after 2 years it's almost always because you had a new partner and contracted a new type - not because the original type reoccured. If you feel the need though to discuss a hpv infection with partners for a lifetime then by all means that is your choice and you do what you feel comfortable doing. There have been amazing advances in hpv research in the last several years that went hand in hand with the hpv vaccines being researched. We still though do not know that if once the virus has reached undetectable levels with the know how we have today if that means that it's truly gone from the body or just lying too dormant for us to pick up on. That said - we do know that once the virus has reached undetectable levels it's not likely you are going to transmit it to a partner. So how do you apply this to day to day life? Well you do whatever you feel comfortable doing. It's totally your choice. I know as for myself - I have no plans whatsoever of talking to partners for the rest of my life about the warts I had on my hands when I was a kid or the wart I got on the bottom of my foot the other year soon after I was on vacation. It's the same virus - just not the negative connotations of the genital hpv strains. I'm sure I"ve had hpv genitally in my lifetime - have had far too many partners to be that naive that I haven't - but I've never experienced any obvious warts or changes in my pap test to know it. That said - I know in myself I wouldn't still be talking about a genital wart I had when I was 20 or something at my current age! Sure if a partner asked me if I had ever had warts of anything then yes I'd tell them and discuss it but it's not something I would feel obligated to talk about.
To me you can't complain about the stigma behind std's unless you are willing to do your part in them. Not asking a partner about std's and testing and not talking to a partner about your own experiences just further adds to the unrealistic "romantic" attitudes about sex that our current society seems to have. We go to the grocery store, the checkout person has a whopper of a cold and we aren't surprised when we start with the sniffles a few days later and all we did was share the same air space and exchange money/pen/paper. Why we are surprised that we swap spit, get buck nekkid with someone and exchange body fluids and have close body contact for hours on end and for weeks/months/years sometimes results in an infection of some sort or another I have no idea. Also you might want to stop thinking of it being a "loose" woman in your past you got this from. You are just adding to the stereotypical image of someone who has a std with that way of thinking. How do you know it's not a gal who had only ever had one partner before in her lifetime and he gave it to her and then she gave it to you? Is that a loose woman in your book? Really how do you expect folks to be understanding for your situation if that's the way you think of the way you got hpv? And really would you want to try to build a life with someone who is scared off that easy just by some warts on your johnson?
grace
Depending on what type of hpv you have that caused the obvious warts - depends on how long you need to wait to consider yourself "clear" of the virus. It's not as simple as remove the warts and ta da you are "clear" by that evening or soon after. On average it takes about 10 months for the most common low risk forms of genital hpv to clear themselves with most being completely cleared by 1 1/3 years or so ( the high risk strains usually take longer , same as if you have a coinfection with multiple strains of hpv it prolongs how long until both are cleared from the body - see JID may 15th issue for a terrific abstract on this and a search on pubmed.gov will also provide many, many articles that are current and up to date on hpv clearance ). The advice I usually give folks is if you had them removed and they haven't reoccured within a year then consider it no longer an issue. More than enough research out there showing that if you have signs of warts again after 2 years it's almost always because you had a new partner and contracted a new type - not because the original type reoccured. If you feel the need though to discuss a hpv infection with partners for a lifetime then by all means that is your choice and you do what you feel comfortable doing. There have been amazing advances in hpv research in the last several years that went hand in hand with the hpv vaccines being researched. We still though do not know that if once the virus has reached undetectable levels with the know how we have today if that means that it's truly gone from the body or just lying too dormant for us to pick up on. That said - we do know that once the virus has reached undetectable levels it's not likely you are going to transmit it to a partner. So how do you apply this to day to day life? Well you do whatever you feel comfortable doing. It's totally your choice. I know as for myself - I have no plans whatsoever of talking to partners for the rest of my life about the warts I had on my hands when I was a kid or the wart I got on the bottom of my foot the other year soon after I was on vacation. It's the same virus - just not the negative connotations of the genital hpv strains. I'm sure I"ve had hpv genitally in my lifetime - have had far too many partners to be that naive that I haven't - but I've never experienced any obvious warts or changes in my pap test to know it. That said - I know in myself I wouldn't still be talking about a genital wart I had when I was 20 or something at my current age! Sure if a partner asked me if I had ever had warts of anything then yes I'd tell them and discuss it but it's not something I would feel obligated to talk about.
To me you can't complain about the stigma behind std's unless you are willing to do your part in them. Not asking a partner about std's and testing and not talking to a partner about your own experiences just further adds to the unrealistic "romantic" attitudes about sex that our current society seems to have. We go to the grocery store, the checkout person has a whopper of a cold and we aren't surprised when we start with the sniffles a few days later and all we did was share the same air space and exchange money/pen/paper. Why we are surprised that we swap spit, get buck nekkid with someone and exchange body fluids and have close body contact for hours on end and for weeks/months/years sometimes results in an infection of some sort or another I have no idea. Also you might want to stop thinking of it being a "loose" woman in your past you got this from. You are just adding to the stereotypical image of someone who has a std with that way of thinking. How do you know it's not a gal who had only ever had one partner before in her lifetime and he gave it to her and then she gave it to you? Is that a loose woman in your book? Really how do you expect folks to be understanding for your situation if that's the way you think of the way you got hpv? And really would you want to try to build a life with someone who is scared off that easy just by some warts on your johnson?
grace
So everyone...is it safe to assume based on the consensus of this community that I will NEVER be able to have unprotected sex with another woman for the rest of my life without infecting them? I'm am at an absolute breaking point right now and am totally devastated by this news as I realize that if that's the case, I can most likely plan for a very lonely future.
Thanks for the comments. The way it was explained to me was that HPV is similar to a cold. While a cold is a virus, it doesn't necesarrily mean you're sick all the time. I do not believe that you can even begin to compare herpes with HPV as herpes is normally guaranteed to come back whereas HPV usually clears itself on its own and reoccurences, while they do happen, are rare. I didn't necessarily believe the one doctor who broke it down to me like this to begin with which is why I went and got a second opinion. When I heard the second doctor reiterate the same information as the first specialist I found it hard to believe that two dermatologists from very high-profile areas would be throwing false information like this to a patient. I've even checked the CDC website which has explained that HPV tends to clear itself from peoples' systems even without treatment. As I said, I am not a scumbag and am not about to infect this girl and if telling her is the right thing to do than I'll do it, I just know that moving forward in my life I find it EXTREMELY hard to believe that I'll find someone who is ok with me having this. This totally sucks and I honestly wish I had never gone to the doctors for this because now I know. Ignorance truly is bliss.
Hi, I was reading your story and it was extremely interesting how your doctors diagnosed you with HPV, yet it is curable and is going to go away. HPV which is a virus, by the way, does not go away. It's like saying you have herpes or aids, but once the signs and symptoms go away, you no longer have it.
A virus does not disappear. And yes you should tell her no matter what because you have to put yourself in the girl's position. Let's say she had an STD and she didn't bother telling you. You would have left her then....
A virus does not disappear. And yes you should tell her no matter what because you have to put yourself in the girl's position. Let's say she had an STD and she didn't bother telling you. You would have left her then....
And another thing Grace...had I honestly not cared about this girl's well being, I would not be so stressed about this. I just know that if a girl hears something like that and the word (STD) comes to mind, she's going to be headed right out the door. I do not want my relationships to suffer because of a stupid and reversable mistake and if there is away to take care of this without harming anyone than that's the road I want to take. I'm frustrated, fed up, and extremely pissed that I ever had to deal with this but I realize that there is no one else to blame but myself and whatever loose girl I had been with in the past. I just want to know that once this is gone I am good to go because I can stand abstaining from sex for a little while if there is away around not telling her because no girl in her right mind would stick around if she heard that no matter how much explanation you put in front of her.
Here's the thing that I have researched and spoken about with two different dermatologists. Both of them have told me that once I have the "bumps" removed and they are gone that I am no longer at a risk for transferring HPV to another partner. The type I have is benign and does not cause cancer according to these doctors. Additionally, if I thought I might have the chance of transmitting these to her of course I'd let her know...I'm not a scumbag. I have essentially been told though that there is more of a shock of hearing it than it actually being a major health concern which is why if I can handle this situation discretely and without risk of affecting her in the future than of course that is the route I'm going to take because there is no need to make someone worry needlessly. So Grace you're basically saying that I should tell her even after I have these removed? I just want to be clear as it is my understanding that once they are removed, I am no longer at risk.
So if these two physicians (one in New York and one in Boca Raton, FL) I've spoken with are wrong than by all means share that with me and I'll be more than happy to bring this up during my next visit because it is my understanding, and the understanding of the physicians I've consulted, that the type I have is no longer transmittiable once I've had the physical signs removed.
So if these two physicians (one in New York and one in Boca Raton, FL) I've spoken with are wrong than by all means share that with me and I'll be more than happy to bring this up during my next visit because it is my understanding, and the understanding of the physicians I've consulted, that the type I have is no longer transmittiable once I've had the physical signs removed.
I feel badly for the girl. :( I don't think it's ever okay to withhold this kind of information. Clearly, you don't have her best interests in mind.
You seem determined not to bring up your hpv with this gal . that is your choice. You are the one who has to live with the consequences of not doing so should any ever arise.
considering all that you've been thru with worrying - are you going to talk to her about std's and suggest you both get tested and share results?
grace
considering all that you've been thru with worrying - are you going to talk to her about std's and suggest you both get tested and share results?
grace
Hi Grace,
So I wanted to let you know that I ended up going to the dermatologist's office and she used a liquid nitrogen treatment to get rid of whatever I had down there. I wanted to get a second opinion on this though...my dermatologist told me that as long as I have visible "bumps" down there that I have the potential to pass this on to someone else. She also told me that once these "bumps" are gone however, that I would not need to disclose this to future partners as this pretty much means that I am no longer contagious. I know that the human body eventually builds up enough of antivirals eventually to the point where it is able to rid itself of the virus entirely but I wanted to get these removed ASAP as I'm actually seeing someone and I find this relationship going towards the physical route relatively soon. I really don't think I'll be able to share this with someone as I honestly feel anyone who hears about this is just going to not even waste their time and even though this is a harmless and fleeting virus I have, (totally benign), the mere thought of STD is going to freak any girl out and I really don't want to do this with her. I also realize that I wouldn't feel right putting her at risk for something. I honestly would've never known I had this unless I was looking and went to the doctor for it but now that I do know, I feel like I have a moral obligation to share this with someone if the potential for risk is there.
My doctor told me that since I had only a few on my shaft that weren't visible unless you stretched the skin, that I could get away with wearing a condom and not spreading it to her and that once I guess my symptoms are gone, I could move towards unprotected sex if the relationship heads down that route. Let me know if this sounds right or if I'm going to have to always warn a future partner regardless of whether or not I've taken care of the symptoms. Thanks in advance for your help.
Best,
-Andy
So I wanted to let you know that I ended up going to the dermatologist's office and she used a liquid nitrogen treatment to get rid of whatever I had down there. I wanted to get a second opinion on this though...my dermatologist told me that as long as I have visible "bumps" down there that I have the potential to pass this on to someone else. She also told me that once these "bumps" are gone however, that I would not need to disclose this to future partners as this pretty much means that I am no longer contagious. I know that the human body eventually builds up enough of antivirals eventually to the point where it is able to rid itself of the virus entirely but I wanted to get these removed ASAP as I'm actually seeing someone and I find this relationship going towards the physical route relatively soon. I really don't think I'll be able to share this with someone as I honestly feel anyone who hears about this is just going to not even waste their time and even though this is a harmless and fleeting virus I have, (totally benign), the mere thought of STD is going to freak any girl out and I really don't want to do this with her. I also realize that I wouldn't feel right putting her at risk for something. I honestly would've never known I had this unless I was looking and went to the doctor for it but now that I do know, I feel like I have a moral obligation to share this with someone if the potential for risk is there.
My doctor told me that since I had only a few on my shaft that weren't visible unless you stretched the skin, that I could get away with wearing a condom and not spreading it to her and that once I guess my symptoms are gone, I could move towards unprotected sex if the relationship heads down that route. Let me know if this sounds right or if I'm going to have to always warn a future partner regardless of whether or not I've taken care of the symptoms. Thanks in advance for your help.
Best,
-Andy
Go get your warts professionally cared for. The teeny scars will get lighter in time on their own.
no rubbing alcohol won't make them go away in a week.
grace
no rubbing alcohol won't make them go away in a week.
grace
Hey Grace,
So I was doing some searching online for some at-home remedies I could safely and quickly utilize to get rid of these things. As I mentioned, I had been prescribed Aldara but it doesn't seem to be working. I read though that HPV lives in highly oxygenated environments and that applying with a cotton swab something like rubbing alcohol a few times/day can make these things go away within a matter of 8 days. Have you ever heard of anything like this and if not, do you happen to know of any at-home remedies that work quickly and effectively? Thanks.
-Andrew
So I was doing some searching online for some at-home remedies I could safely and quickly utilize to get rid of these things. As I mentioned, I had been prescribed Aldara but it doesn't seem to be working. I read though that HPV lives in highly oxygenated environments and that applying with a cotton swab something like rubbing alcohol a few times/day can make these things go away within a matter of 8 days. Have you ever heard of anything like this and if not, do you happen to know of any at-home remedies that work quickly and effectively? Thanks.
-Andrew
I would totally use a condom with this girl. My concern was the whole oral sex thing I guess more than anything as I realize that if I were to use a condom that this would not be transferred as I only have a few on my shaft. Out of curiosity, besides the Aldara treatment I'm using, is there anything else I can use that will quickly remove these without leaving a scar? I just really don't want to have "Big Andy" all marked up because of this and if there is a course of treatment that will remove these without leaving scars, I'd def. go for that route. Thanks.
I'll tell you my response from if I was the girl in question point of view - YES YOU HAVE TO TELL HER OR SHE'LL RIP YOUR BALLS OFF ! Yep - that's how we gals are. We expect our partners to be thoughtful and tell us that they are still under going treatment for hpv. It says to us that hey - this guy not only is attracted to me, he also cares about my well being and hot damn isn't that a pleasant change and hey I wanta do this fellar eventually because he's not like those other bastards I've been meeting lately. So yes even though it's not the most pleasant conversation to have - you need to have it. It's in your own best interest in the long run. Trust me there's no good way to spin - oh what your gyn said you have genital warts - well you probably got them from me because I just was diagnosed with them a few months ago and was still treating them when we first started having sex.
Even though you have low risk, external warts which are just a cosmetic concern - it's still something you should be talking about to your potential partners. Let them make the decision of when to have sex. Also ask your gal if she's had the full hpv vaccine series yet ( it's 3 shots ). Talk about using condoms. One study showed that when you put the condom on from the moment the clothes came off ( not just wait until actual penetration ) that it reduced transmission of hpv by 90%.
grace
Even though you have low risk, external warts which are just a cosmetic concern - it's still something you should be talking about to your potential partners. Let them make the decision of when to have sex. Also ask your gal if she's had the full hpv vaccine series yet ( it's 3 shots ). Talk about using condoms. One study showed that when you put the condom on from the moment the clothes came off ( not just wait until actual penetration ) that it reduced transmission of hpv by 90%.
grace
Hi Grace,
I hope all is going well with you and the rest of the MedHelp elite. I had another STD-related question if you wouldn't mind helping me out real quick. I don't know if you recall but when I first posted a question on this forum I had mentioned that I was recently (a few months ago) diagnosed with HPV. As I said, I'm not too worried about this as I realize that many people have this condition and the human body has the ability to completely clear itself of this condition. My concern however comes with the fact that I am now seeing someone where the potential for sexual relations is most definately a factor. I had about 2-3 visible warts removed and biopsied at a dermatologists office. Of note, while this test came back positive for HPV, the type of HPV i had was completely benign and did not cause cancer or any of the other conditions that are sometimes associated with HPV. I still have a few bumps, which are completely invisible unless you stretch the skin, on the shaft of Big Andy which I was prescribed Aldara for. I've been using it everyday now and for some reason they still are not going away. When I had a follow-up appointment with my dermatologist she recommended that I have them removed but my whole issue with that though is the scarring that is usually left behind. I remember when I had one of these things frozen off and another cut off and they both left scars which are just now (about 3-4 months later) just beginning to die down in noticibility. I however feel that my sexual relations with this girl may come sooner than when these barely visible symptoms dissappear altogether.
My question is would it be irresponsible of me to proceed in sexual relations with this girl without telling her about this even though I know that the symptoms I have are not harmful? I honestly would've probably have never known about this had I not pushed my doctor to examine me so closely and she never really found it to be that big of a deal, only that I should have them removed or do something to treat them. Since this isn't a life-threatening illness and isn't like having herpes (which I would totally warn my partner of) I don't know if it'd be necessary to freak her out about a condition that is A. Going to be gone probably within a year B. Most people have it and don't realize it and C. Is not harmful. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
I hope all is going well with you and the rest of the MedHelp elite. I had another STD-related question if you wouldn't mind helping me out real quick. I don't know if you recall but when I first posted a question on this forum I had mentioned that I was recently (a few months ago) diagnosed with HPV. As I said, I'm not too worried about this as I realize that many people have this condition and the human body has the ability to completely clear itself of this condition. My concern however comes with the fact that I am now seeing someone where the potential for sexual relations is most definately a factor. I had about 2-3 visible warts removed and biopsied at a dermatologists office. Of note, while this test came back positive for HPV, the type of HPV i had was completely benign and did not cause cancer or any of the other conditions that are sometimes associated with HPV. I still have a few bumps, which are completely invisible unless you stretch the skin, on the shaft of Big Andy which I was prescribed Aldara for. I've been using it everyday now and for some reason they still are not going away. When I had a follow-up appointment with my dermatologist she recommended that I have them removed but my whole issue with that though is the scarring that is usually left behind. I remember when I had one of these things frozen off and another cut off and they both left scars which are just now (about 3-4 months later) just beginning to die down in noticibility. I however feel that my sexual relations with this girl may come sooner than when these barely visible symptoms dissappear altogether.
My question is would it be irresponsible of me to proceed in sexual relations with this girl without telling her about this even though I know that the symptoms I have are not harmful? I honestly would've probably have never known about this had I not pushed my doctor to examine me so closely and she never really found it to be that big of a deal, only that I should have them removed or do something to treat them. Since this isn't a life-threatening illness and isn't like having herpes (which I would totally warn my partner of) I don't know if it'd be necessary to freak her out about a condition that is A. Going to be gone probably within a year B. Most people have it and don't realize it and C. Is not harmful. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
Thanks so much for your help with all of this Grace. (You too Aunt Jessie). I appreciate your direction and feedback towards my situation and will most definately be sure to be more cautious in my sexual life moving forward. Hopefully you will not be hearing from me again and in that sense, be well and I wish you the best. Thanks.
-Andrew
-Andrew
I'd stop worrying about this so much. I know since you also have hpv you are probably convincing yourself you must just have another std at least but don't you are probably worrying yourself needlessly about all this. I wouldn't even bother retesting - to be negative at this point makes it unlikely that you actually have herpes.
grace
grace
And it's funny that you should mention that this isn't a serious health concern and most people will test positive. When I asked for the test my dermatologist looked at me and was like "are you sure?" She said that about 80% of people who take the blood test will test positive for one or the other even when they don't have symptoms. I thought it was pretty irresponsible not to know as I'd hate to infect anyone with this with at least alerting them beforehand.
Back to my previous post. With these time frames in mind is it safe to say that my IgG numbers should remain the same whether I get tested a couple months from now or not? Thanks again.
Back to my previous post. With these time frames in mind is it safe to say that my IgG numbers should remain the same whether I get tested a couple months from now or not? Thanks again.
The last time I had sex was about 3 months ago (12 weeks or so). It was with a condom. Prior to that it was about 2 months with a different partner. I got out of a 3 year monogomous relationship (or so I hope) back in September of 2007. Since then I've had three partners.
when was the last time you had sex? do you have a regular partner?
why isn't a herpes test part of routine std testing? cost for the most part. Also it doesn't really affect your physical health so it's a low priority for most clinics plus they really just don't want to deal with educating patients since most of them are going to test + for one type or the other. the older tests weren't as useful as the tests we now have.
grace
why isn't a herpes test part of routine std testing? cost for the most part. Also it doesn't really affect your physical health so it's a low priority for most clinics plus they really just don't want to deal with educating patients since most of them are going to test + for one type or the other. the older tests weren't as useful as the tests we now have.
grace
Grace,
Sorry for the multiple messages but I think this ? can benefit everyone. If the IgG herpes specefic blood test is so accurate, than why don't they include this with a normal STD testing? Is it because there is an additional cost? I'll be perfectly honest, when I was younger and I would go get checked out every 6 months because I would have multiple partners at one point in time, I was under the assumption that I was getting tested for everything, including herpes. I realize you had said that the IgG test is VERY accurate but I think I remember my primary doc telling me that he doesn't prescribe that test because it has a tendency to come up not accurate. Is perhaps because he may have been referring to an older version of the herpes blood test? I just figured that since this is 96-98% accurate, why isn't it more widely advertised and more widely used. It just seems strange that's all. Thanks for clarifying.
-Andrew
Sorry for the multiple messages but I think this ? can benefit everyone. If the IgG herpes specefic blood test is so accurate, than why don't they include this with a normal STD testing? Is it because there is an additional cost? I'll be perfectly honest, when I was younger and I would go get checked out every 6 months because I would have multiple partners at one point in time, I was under the assumption that I was getting tested for everything, including herpes. I realize you had said that the IgG test is VERY accurate but I think I remember my primary doc telling me that he doesn't prescribe that test because it has a tendency to come up not accurate. Is perhaps because he may have been referring to an older version of the herpes blood test? I just figured that since this is 96-98% accurate, why isn't it more widely advertised and more widely used. It just seems strange that's all. Thanks for clarifying.
-Andrew
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You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
