HPV18

Hello.  I have recently been diagnosed with HPV18.  Over a year ago i was told i had a sort of wart in the uterus walls, which was taken out and a biopsy was done.  Nothing came out of that or the pap test.  A month later i went to another doctor to get a second opinion and this one did another pap, which turned out ok too, and a hybrid capture (i do not know if that is the correct tanslation) which also came out clean.  A little over a year after (around september this year) that i went to have my usual check-up and the pap test came out with something unusual, so a hybrid capture was done again.  This time it came out with the conclusion that i have hpv18.  My doctor took some samples out of my uterus walls and had them put through a biopsy to see if there was dispacia (word in spanish) and told me that if needed he would do the treatment where the walls are frozen and burnt, but then he called to say that it was ok and that nothing needed to be done yet.  
To add to this, i have used birth control pills for around 7 years (non-stop) and only stopped this year, and i have been with my fiancée for 5 years now, and he has been my only sexual partner.  

My questions are:
1. if my fiancee and i have been each other's only sexual partner, and last year's test did not come up with the hpv diagnosis, how could i have got it now?
2. how frequently should i get pap tests?
3. how common is for the virus to go away on its own?
4. should my boyfriend and i use some sort of protection? what about when we will want to have kids?
5. when i get pregnant, will i be at risk of developing cancer during those months?
6. regarding oral sex: we have practiced it very frequently.  How big is the risk of getting oral cancer, penis cancer? what doctor should we see to check this? do we have to stop having oral sex?
7. overall, how does this affect our lives and sexual life? i am trying to get the dimension of this disease.

Thank you

[roses711]

1. One of you had it before you met each other..high risk HPV (strains 16/18.. the most common) have NO symptoms for men and usually for women (only if a PAP comes back abnormal). You'll never know who gave it to who..it's NOT a sign of infidelity. It can lie dormant for decades and show up when your body is stressed or your immune system is weakened.
2. your pap may be every 6 months till you have 3 paps AND HPV tests come back normal/negative
3. 80% lf sexually active ppl have it and  NEVER  know it.. and 90% of pple who get suppress/clear the virus  naturally  fom 6 months to 2 yrs. The medical community feel that it's as common as the cold/flu. Some gyn's don't even test for it UNLESS the patient gets an abnormal PAP.. because it's SO common/prevelant!!
4. You can use protection @ least until your condition clears up ( some docs say yes/ some say no)..having HPV won't prevent you from having kids..just let your gyn/ob know about your HPV status..even if your HPV test comes back negative...discuss what you may need to do t maintain you immune sytem during your pregnancy
5 .Having HPV DOESN'T mean that you have OR will EVER get cancer (same for your fiance)..just means that your already small chance is slightly increased.
6. f you've been having frquent oral sex..you both could have it already orally.. Getting cancer (oral/penile/anal)..is RARE..it is possible to get hpv from oral sex but difficult. You don't have to stop..BUT you DO have to pay attention to your health/body. A dentist can swab for hpv and perform a test.. there is no test for men to test for hpv in the genitals.I would avoid receiving oral until your hpv test comes back negative.
7. This shouldn't affect your sexual life...especially if the hpv goes dormant.

I hope this helps..

[GT9]

Thank you! A LOT