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How long before symptoms of Genital Warts are visible?

I am in a committed relationship.  About a year into the relationship, my partner stopped having sex with me.  About five/six months later he admitted to contracting a STD and that being the reason he was not sexually interested.  My question is how long before symptoms of Genital Warts are visible?  Back in college, i took a few human sexual behavior classes and i thought that after contact with an infected party, symptoms of genital warts should show up between 2-4 months (and in some cases up to 6 months) after contact?  Because of this, I can't stop thinking that he was sleeping with another person some point in that first year.  Is it possible that it could take over a year to present symptoms? I have not ever had genital warts and have had a clean pap & std tests the past two times i've gone.  Please help.
Best Answer
1318465 tn?1614894302
Hello.

Symptoms of a genetial wart, is 2-4 months.   They can appear as soon as 2 weeks, and latest I would say 4 months.  

It appears to be that you are more concerned with the time line of when this person was unfaithful to you.    Don't worry about that.   If you want answers to that (of which I recommend you don't seek them) you can ask him.   Again you should try to move on with your life in this mental aspect.  I know that is easier said that done, but you need to try not to think about this much.    I am sorry this happens to you.   I hope you continue to test negative, past the genital warts/HPV window period.
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101028 tn?1419603004
too late now for the shot to protect you much unless he's contracted it since you last had sex with him. it's approved in the US for females 28 and under.

have you considered talking to a relationship counselor about this and your sex life issues in general?
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Avatar universal
We have spoken about all this. It's probably our biggest relationship conflict.  He swears up and down that he never cheated on me.   My scientific mind will not believe this, but i really would love to believe him.  I was tested as soon as he was diagnosed with genital warts. I specifically asked them to check for HPV and do an external screening (visual) for warts.  All of which i was told i didn't have when they called me after the exam.  I've had one more annual pap since (again i asked for them to test for std/hpv/hiv) but i don't think my boyfriend has been back for a test. And as far as the gardasil, i think my doctors have been very misinformed on when it's useful. Before I went to college it had just been put on the market. My doc told me the shot wouldn't protect me against anything since i was already sexually active.  When my boyfriend first got warts, I asked if i should get the shot to prevent getting them or passing it back and forth between us or if it would help at all and he said i didn't need it because i was over 23?  I kind of think my doctor is an idiot, but he's the health professional... lol.  Thanks for your concern. I hope we can work things out.  Have a nice weekend.
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Avatar universal
Thank you for your note. And yes, I'm mostly concerned with if he cheated on me or not.  Our sex life has been nearly non existent since this happened, so i have lots of concerns about the cheating. Like if he got it from cheating before, and we are still not back to a consistent sexual relationship, is he going to cheat again? Is he still cheating and that's why our sex life hasn't gotten back to normal?  Did he never cheat, and he just isn't attracted to me anymore? I don't know.  I want to believe him, because I feel like if I don't, then I don't  trust him, and our relationship is destined for doom. considering he said he never cheated on me, i feel bad for not just believing him, but i also feel like science proves something is fishy... Well at least i know my assumptions about genital warts are pretty well informed :)
Thanks for you response! Have a good weekend
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101028 tn?1419603004
Pap tests only look for abnormal cervical cells. they aren't a hpv test. even when you do have actual hpv testing done along with your pap, it doesn't detect the types of hpv that are present on our external genitals that cause genital warts.  

Is it likely that you had hpv and just didn't have obvious warts and your partner contracted it from you a year into your relationship?  No it is not. odds are he did have another partner unless he had those symptoms prior to meeting you and just never had a proper work up to know that they were warts.

Are you two talking about all of this? You got testing but did he?  have you had your gardasil shots?

grace
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