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HPV transmission with condom use

Firstly I would like to echo the sentiments of many who have posted questions on this forum. Your straight-forward answers have helped to counteract the heavy feeling I have had in my stomach since beginning my search for information on HPV and genital warts.

I recently found a a big bump (4 or 5 days ago) on the lip of my vagina but assumed it was an ingrown hair from waxing. I thought nothing of it and had sexual intercourse with my b/f who I have only been dating several months (making a conversation about HPV very awkward if I need to have it). We used a condom. Yesterday I realized that the bump had not changed and so today I went to a doctor.

Suffice to say the doctor diagnosed a small wart on my thumb and told me the bump on my vagina was a wart as well. As it was a walk in clinic, this was the extent of our conversation. She used liquid nitrogen and told me to come back in a week for another treatment.

Is there a chance the wart on my vagina is from the wart on my thumb? If so, would that mean my wart strain may not be a genital wart (if that is possible)?

What is the chance that I have transmitted HPV (I am fairly convinced I have it) to my partner?

I want to have a conversation with him about it but do not feel I have the knowledge and information required to do it in a way that will help him to understand that it will go away. It will won't it?

Any insight you can give me is appreciated.

Any guidance
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Avatar universal
"Normal" warts appearing on the genitals are rare, but it happens.  I thought about bringing this possibility up in my initial post, but it seems to be in such the minority I didn't bother to.  Typically if you find warts on your genitals and you are sexually active, they are most often venereal warts.  Did your doctor biopsy the wart on your genital region to come to this conclusion?  Just curious.
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Avatar universal
Interesting news...

Finally saw my Family GP and it turns out that the warts are actually "true" warts. Apparently they were transmitted through normal bathroom habits (I had the wart on my thumb) and I was given the traditional treatment for a "true" wart.

I also thought that you couldn't get a "true" wart down there, but apparently that is not the case. They are also less transmittable compared to the genital wart variety. Just thought I would share... (I had my PAP come back negative)

Not sure how to situate this conversation with the b/f (I am sure it will sound made-up) but I am glad to know that I am the one (most likely) responsible for inoculating myself!

Thank you empathy60 for your response. In a time of insecurity your advice was extremely comforting.
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Avatar universal
Sorry for not answering this sooner, I've been meaning to.

The wart on your thumb would not be caused by the type of HPV that caused warts on your genitals.

Condoms reduce HPV transmission, but do not protect the uninfected entirely.  Chances are your boyfriend is infected already, and the infection may have even started with him if he's had other partners.  I would notify your boyfriend of your infection, and if he has symptoms, he should see a doctor as well.  The CDC doesn't advise that partners of those with active HPV infection be examined, unless they too are having symptoms.  You should browse the expert forums for exact figures on HPV transmission with condoms.  From personal experience though, I acquired HPV through one single, completely protected encounter.  Though the risks were low, it happened.

HPV will eventually be suppressed to a non-transmittable state.  The knowledgeable doctors in the expert forums have lots of great info put in a very scientific fashion, which may help when discussing this with your boyfriend.  HPV is normal and everyone gets it at one point or another.
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