What happens if I have HPV?

[el91]

I am a healthy, 22 year-old female and recently had a past partner contact me to tell me he had venereal warts, which is caused by HPV. I have never had any type of genital warts, but I have heard that this is typically not a sign of HPV in women. In fact, I have not shown any symptoms of any type of STD. I will be getting a pap smear soon, so I will find out soon enough whether or not I have the virus, but if I am diagnosed, what exactly does this mean and what sort of steps would I need to take from there?

Thanks

[veryworried420]

If you mean, if your partner's warts were active, can they infect (spread) to you?  Yes but a one time event doessn't always spread it.  No one can say if it takes one encounter or multiple. If he was dormant (no active warts), it is probable that he did not infect you but there are "invisible warts" which cannot be seen by the naked eye and since men cannot be tested, he had no idea if he was infecting you or not.

[el91]

Thanks for the response! I've already gotten the vaccine, always use protection, and I exercise very regularly and eat well so even if I do have it, hopefully this will all contribute to it becoming dormant. Since I have no symptoms, I'm mostly just worried that it could be a strain of pre-cancerous cells, but hopefully the vaccination did its job, but I guess its no use worrying before I know if I even have it.

Can it spread if its dormant or is that only if its active??

[veryworried420]

If you are positive, your GYN will advise a procedure to make the virus dormant in your body. If you are positive, it never goes away. It does go dormant for 90% of the infected according to medical stats. But you can become infectious someday say 10-20 years from now or not. No one can ever know whether you will or won't as doctors believe that tiny amounts cling to your DNA forever. Should your GYN do a procedure and declare you "cured", just realize that this is transient disease which means that word is mis-leading. You would be declared not infectious at that time.

However, some of us believe that a strong immune system can keep you not infectious. Stop smoking cigs, reduce booze and 420 intake, exercise more, take vitamins that boost the immune system, get more rest, reduce stress, etc. and it could remain dormant. Since you are 22, get the vaccine!   This will prevent you from getting more strains that you don't already have. Use this as a wake-up call for safer sex and understand that condoms provide 50% protection since it virus lives on genital skin which is thighs, butt, sex organ etc. Condoms don't even go to the base so any deep sex is risky.Sorry to be so blunt.