Protecting against HPV

[Inquir3]

I started dating someone who had a LEEP procedure done to remove precancerous cells from her cervix. She explained that she had HPV (more specifically strain no. 18). I decided to meet with her and her gyno. The gyno said the LEEP procedure helped to clear the virus in 90% of cases. She recommended that I get gardasil and that we use condoms if we want to have sex.

Approximately 4 weeks after my first gardasil shot we started having sex using a condom (to my understanding sufficient antibodies are produced in the first 1.5-2 weeks). I got my first booster at 5 weeks after my initial dose. Is this enough proctection? what is the likelihood that I have it as well? If the situation were to occur, would it be negligent to future partners to not disclose this situation even though there is no way to know if I have it? To my understanding majority of healthy people "clear" the virus within 2 years and don't even know they have it.

[anon7600]

I have the same questions as you. is it possible an MD can answer this thread?

[veryworried420]

The term "clear" means the virus is at so low levels that the test which women can take cannot detect it. Condoms do provide protection but not a lot. They don't cover much genital skin like the base of the penis, scrotum, buttocks, etc. If you were sexually active before the vaccine, it is impossible to know if you were exposed before her. Informing future partners is optional. Finding a woman who never had a "bad pap result" gets less likely as the decades progress. Men can't be tested and without symptoms (warts), its wrong for any sexually active man to say they are "clean". The vaccine only protects against the most popular strains but it is good that you got it. My advice is to hope for the best and assume you were not infected until a medical professional says otherwise.