Aa
HPV
I recently found out I had low risk HPV (The type that causes genital warts, not cancer) from a partner who knew he had them and has never once said sorry. I dealt with this on my own, did hours and hours worth of research and started using Aldara cream. I only had a few little bumps and even though I had a terrible reaction from the cream it cleared the warts within 2 weeks, it has been a couple of weeks since I cleared and I have no new warts, although I notice a wart I missed. I told my boyfriend when I found out and he was very supportive and recently he has had an outbreak himself. His outbreak is worse than mine as he has around 10 little bumps and at worst I had about 5. I obviously feel awful so I've commited myself to finding everything out about this to make this easier on him.
I've found alot of contradicting information on a lot of websites. Some state you will 'clear' in around 2 years, others state you will have this for life. What exactly dose 'clear' mean? Will me and my partner be contagious forever or will our immune system get rid of the virus? Or is it that we wont have visable symptoms but will still be contagious? Is there anything my partner can do to help his case, I'm already getting him to take vitamins to help the immune system, eat and sleep well, generally stay healthy. Any advice would be helpful.
Also, as I only used half of the aldara cream I gave him what I had left to save him going through the demoralising examination. We decided he would use the rest of the cream and if that didn't help he'd go to the clinic. Is that a bad idea?
I've found alot of contradicting information on a lot of websites. Some state you will 'clear' in around 2 years, others state you will have this for life. What exactly dose 'clear' mean? Will me and my partner be contagious forever or will our immune system get rid of the virus? Or is it that we wont have visable symptoms but will still be contagious? Is there anything my partner can do to help his case, I'm already getting him to take vitamins to help the immune system, eat and sleep well, generally stay healthy. Any advice would be helpful.
Also, as I only used half of the aldara cream I gave him what I had left to save him going through the demoralising examination. We decided he would use the rest of the cream and if that didn't help he'd go to the clinic. Is that a bad idea?
Thank you for both comments. It's nice to know there are so many more cases of this than you expect, it makes it not as frightening.
So I think I understand now Avc, you have the visable symptoms for a little while, then later your body fights the virus along with treatment (As it would a cold) and 'cages' it, meaning that you probably always have the virus in your body, but your immune system keeps it under control, meaning no more out breaks (or unlikely to have outbreaks in the future) and after time I will no longer be contagious, but technically I still have the virus in my body..?
Anna05, I hope Avc ansered your question too :)
So I think I understand now Avc, you have the visable symptoms for a little while, then later your body fights the virus along with treatment (As it would a cold) and 'cages' it, meaning that you probably always have the virus in your body, but your immune system keeps it under control, meaning no more out breaks (or unlikely to have outbreaks in the future) and after time I will no longer be contagious, but technically I still have the virus in my body..?
Anna05, I hope Avc ansered your question too :)
Thank you for both comments. It's nice to know there are so many more cases of this than you expect, it makes it not as frightening.
So I think I understand now Avc, you have the visable symptoms for a little while, then later your body fights the virus along with treatment (As it would a cold) and 'cages' it, meaning that you probably always have the virus in your body, but your immune system keeps it under control, meaning no more out breaks (or unlikely to have outbreaks in the future) and after time I will no longer be contagious, but technically I still have the virus in my body..?
Anna05, I hope Avc ansered your question too :)
So I think I understand now Avc, you have the visable symptoms for a little while, then later your body fights the virus along with treatment (As it would a cold) and 'cages' it, meaning that you probably always have the virus in your body, but your immune system keeps it under control, meaning no more out breaks (or unlikely to have outbreaks in the future) and after time I will no longer be contagious, but technically I still have the virus in my body..?
Anna05, I hope Avc ansered your question too :)
I have been going to my GYN for about 4 months now and had two warts treated that re-occurred after my first time treating them(treated them last august, they returned 3 months later and I had them treated from Nov). I was also very worried about the 'clear' or 'gone' definition!
OK here is the answer: (As I wish to study medicine you can take this from a keen science and engineering graduate with a hunger for knowledge about the human body and hopefully soon to be med student- basically im not full of BS, I ahve researched, asked LOADS of questions and the GYN gave me this info).
Firstly, you have to understand that way viruses work. When you get the flu or a cold thats caused by a virus. Your immune system attacks it and eventually SUPPRESSES it (thats the key word here). When you feel better, and feel like your aches, pains and snuffles are gone and you are helathy again the virus is still in fact in your body- but your immune system has effectively 'caged' it. Also, your immune system, in beating the virus, produced antibodies which will fight the virus should you contract it again from an outside source(bf or another partner)(the same strain of the virus i mean-there are about 4 types that cause GW, if you have sex with someone who has a different strain you can contract that as its different- get the vaccination called Gardisil!!!!) Its kinda like a memory, the virus remains in you but its suppressed so it cant cause that same cold again. The next winter you get the flu- thats a different virus and your body does all the same work fighting that new virus and 'caging' it also. Hence, in your body, you have a collection of viruses that are essentially dormant, caged, not active (whatever word you want to use) that you have contracted and beated since you were born.
Now, HPV works the same. Its a virus. If you have warts right now, then its active in your system (like if you had a cold) and its active in the cells in your genitals. Meaning, that you are contagious if you were to have sex with someone new. With your boyfriend, you dont keep passing the same virus back and forth, rather, you both have it and you are both fighting it. If you happen to 'cage' it first then your boyfriend will eventually cage it also. Say you get tested and your GYN says you are free from HPV but your bf isnt yet and still is getting wart outbreaks, thats OK! You know why? Because you fought it, caged it and have antibodies in your system capable of fighting it every time your bf passes the virus to you during sex etc.
OK so I hope I have been clear with this as I have WORRIED SO MUCH about this over the last year since I noticed the warts and was diagnosed(i was heartbroken by the way and took a long time to come to terms with it- you're lucky you are in a loving relationship, its a huge issue for me trying to trust someone enough to tell them, and usually they dont want to be intimate and I respect that). Anyway, please dont worry. My GYN was so nice and reassuring and told me- get your immune system on top notch thats the only way he said. Take your vitamins, (I also take ecinechea-its awesome!), get loads of rest, keep fit, dont smoke and dont drink excessively, avoid stress, get happy- all those hormones in your body will help boost your immune system. If you can keep your immune system up, you will be better soon. You will cage that virus and you will be symptom free, and essentially free from HPV as your body will have locked that nasty virus away never to affect you or your partner (or future partners) again.
Chin up girl, we're all suffering in silence with this. No one talks about it. Everyone has it-Fact. (Also wise words from my GYN) xx
OK here is the answer: (As I wish to study medicine you can take this from a keen science and engineering graduate with a hunger for knowledge about the human body and hopefully soon to be med student- basically im not full of BS, I ahve researched, asked LOADS of questions and the GYN gave me this info).
Firstly, you have to understand that way viruses work. When you get the flu or a cold thats caused by a virus. Your immune system attacks it and eventually SUPPRESSES it (thats the key word here). When you feel better, and feel like your aches, pains and snuffles are gone and you are helathy again the virus is still in fact in your body- but your immune system has effectively 'caged' it. Also, your immune system, in beating the virus, produced antibodies which will fight the virus should you contract it again from an outside source(bf or another partner)(the same strain of the virus i mean-there are about 4 types that cause GW, if you have sex with someone who has a different strain you can contract that as its different- get the vaccination called Gardisil!!!!) Its kinda like a memory, the virus remains in you but its suppressed so it cant cause that same cold again. The next winter you get the flu- thats a different virus and your body does all the same work fighting that new virus and 'caging' it also. Hence, in your body, you have a collection of viruses that are essentially dormant, caged, not active (whatever word you want to use) that you have contracted and beated since you were born.
Now, HPV works the same. Its a virus. If you have warts right now, then its active in your system (like if you had a cold) and its active in the cells in your genitals. Meaning, that you are contagious if you were to have sex with someone new. With your boyfriend, you dont keep passing the same virus back and forth, rather, you both have it and you are both fighting it. If you happen to 'cage' it first then your boyfriend will eventually cage it also. Say you get tested and your GYN says you are free from HPV but your bf isnt yet and still is getting wart outbreaks, thats OK! You know why? Because you fought it, caged it and have antibodies in your system capable of fighting it every time your bf passes the virus to you during sex etc.
OK so I hope I have been clear with this as I have WORRIED SO MUCH about this over the last year since I noticed the warts and was diagnosed(i was heartbroken by the way and took a long time to come to terms with it- you're lucky you are in a loving relationship, its a huge issue for me trying to trust someone enough to tell them, and usually they dont want to be intimate and I respect that). Anyway, please dont worry. My GYN was so nice and reassuring and told me- get your immune system on top notch thats the only way he said. Take your vitamins, (I also take ecinechea-its awesome!), get loads of rest, keep fit, dont smoke and dont drink excessively, avoid stress, get happy- all those hormones in your body will help boost your immune system. If you can keep your immune system up, you will be better soon. You will cage that virus and you will be symptom free, and essentially free from HPV as your body will have locked that nasty virus away never to affect you or your partner (or future partners) again.
Chin up girl, we're all suffering in silence with this. No one talks about it. Everyone has it-Fact. (Also wise words from my GYN) xx
hey babydoll
i'm on the same page with clear- i mean i got diagnosed with hpv this march of 2010 and i believe i got it last year with my ex( that i shall destroy) :D on feb 2009- it;s been a year and it's still in my system but no warts or anything so im l hoping it'll go away with my immune system but i don't know just hope and pray got a doc app on the 20th - this feels like hell i love my now fiance but i wont merry in fe at of giving it to him - ill just die alone with seven cats. if this hpv is pay back of karma shes really is a *****-
Thank you for your reply. I hear too that it will clear from 6-24 months which is uplifting, but then it says you have it for life which confuses me. I just hope when they say 'clear' they mean it dissapears forever rather than just the symptoms dissapear.
We are both certain they are warts so I suppose we will just see how the Aldara cream works, hopefully it will be just as effective on him as it was on me.
All the best :)
We are both certain they are warts so I suppose we will just see how the Aldara cream works, hopefully it will be just as effective on him as it was on me.
All the best :)
Thank you for your reply. I hear too that it will clear from 6-24 months which is uplifting, but then it says you have it for life which confuses me. I just hope when they say 'clear' they mean it dissapears forever rather than just the symptoms dissapear.
We are both certain they are warts so I suppose we will just see how the Aldara cream works, hopefully it will be just as effective on him as it was on me.
All the best :)
We are both certain they are warts so I suppose we will just see how the Aldara cream works, hopefully it will be just as effective on him as it was on me.
All the best :)
most of the docs say the virus will clear out of your body in about 2-3 years. some docs say that it might stay. statistics show that most people manage to defeat the virus in 2 years so tht's good new. i hope it'll be the case for you.
there's nothing you can really do, except all the things you are already doing for your partner.
about the aladra - it is always better that a doc will see the wart b4 you start any treatment because there is always the possibility it's not a wart... but that's your decision..
i wish you the best, and hope we all defeat this annoying virus
there's nothing you can really do, except all the things you are already doing for your partner.
about the aladra - it is always better that a doc will see the wart b4 you start any treatment because there is always the possibility it's not a wart... but that's your decision..
i wish you the best, and hope we all defeat this annoying virus
You are reading content posted in the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Community
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