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Dried Semen, HPV scare
I am a little concerned about something. My son has severe obsessive-compulsive disorder and his latest episode involves something of a sexual nature. He won't discuss it with me personally, but his father has filled me in on the details. I'm hoping that one of the doctors in this forum might be able to help.
According to my husband, my son is very scared because he was intimate with a woman (just once) who has had a history of precancerous cervical changes (he didn't know it at the time). Since he found out about her history, he has been worried sick. In any case, he started cleaning our house from head to toe. The floors, doors, light switches, remote controls; he cleaned them all. My husband told me that my son did this because he was scared that he might pass HPV to someone in the house if he did indeed contract it from his previous partner. I'm working with limited information here, but I believe that he's afraid that if any of his dried semen came into contact with anything in the house (like his bedroom floor or his bed sheets or a toilet) that it could then be "passed" along by anyone who came into contact with that area (thus passing along the HPV). He apparently told my husband that HPV DNA has shown up in semen (not sure if that is true) and so the possibility of that kind of transmission can't be ruled out. So I guess my question is as follows:
1. Assuming that HPV can be found in semen, how long can HPV survive in semen after the semen has dried?
2. If he handled a pair of boxers that had dried semen in them (such as when putting them in the washer), is it possible that he could then "pass on" HPV by touching something else in the house afterwards (like a door knob, for instance)?
I believe I already know the answers, but I'm hoping to get some reassurance on here for his sake. We are very scared that his OCD may spiral out of control because of this issue (it sort of already has). Thank you for your time on this!
According to my husband, my son is very scared because he was intimate with a woman (just once) who has had a history of precancerous cervical changes (he didn't know it at the time). Since he found out about her history, he has been worried sick. In any case, he started cleaning our house from head to toe. The floors, doors, light switches, remote controls; he cleaned them all. My husband told me that my son did this because he was scared that he might pass HPV to someone in the house if he did indeed contract it from his previous partner. I'm working with limited information here, but I believe that he's afraid that if any of his dried semen came into contact with anything in the house (like his bedroom floor or his bed sheets or a toilet) that it could then be "passed" along by anyone who came into contact with that area (thus passing along the HPV). He apparently told my husband that HPV DNA has shown up in semen (not sure if that is true) and so the possibility of that kind of transmission can't be ruled out. So I guess my question is as follows:
1. Assuming that HPV can be found in semen, how long can HPV survive in semen after the semen has dried?
2. If he handled a pair of boxers that had dried semen in them (such as when putting them in the washer), is it possible that he could then "pass on" HPV by touching something else in the house afterwards (like a door knob, for instance)?
I believe I already know the answers, but I'm hoping to get some reassurance on here for his sake. We are very scared that his OCD may spiral out of control because of this issue (it sort of already has). Thank you for your time on this!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
There are two issues that relate to HPV transmission. First, might your son be infected? Theoretically, yes -- but it probably is unlikely after a single exposure. His partner's past history of an abnormal pap smear doesn't make any signficant difference in that risk. Regardless of abnormal pap smears, 30% or more of sexually active women are carrying HPV. This depends a bit on her sexual history, but you probably can assume she has multiple partners. Still, the chance your son was infected is low from a single exposure, but nobody can say there was no risk.
The other issue is whether there is risk of nonsexual transmission of HPV to others in the household. This is a clear and resounding NO. The rate of HPV infection is not known to be any higher in household contacts of people with gential HPV than in the general population.
A related question is raised by your son's fear that HPV could be in semen. In fact, testing semen has been found to be a poor way to detect HPV in infected men. The highest yields come from swabbing the surface of the penis. Although sometimes the virus can be found in semen, it is uncommon.
To the specific questions, the survival duration of HPV in sexual secretions has not been studied. But this really doesn't matter. Transmission through objects that have been in contact with semen almost certainly does not occur, ever. Handling underwear with dried semen simply does not bring a plausible risk of transmission.
As you seem to know, your son's emotional state is the only health problem of concern here. Presumably he is under care for his OCD. If not, I hope you are planning to arrange it. Either way, this issue needs to be explicitly raised with his mental health care provider. As you probably realize, just explaining the facts about HPV transmission to your son is not likely to resolve his fears. And I would point out that, regardless of the fact that his fears have no scientific basis, they are essentially altruistic -- he is taking responsibility for your health, however unsound that idea might be.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
The other issue is whether there is risk of nonsexual transmission of HPV to others in the household. This is a clear and resounding NO. The rate of HPV infection is not known to be any higher in household contacts of people with gential HPV than in the general population.
A related question is raised by your son's fear that HPV could be in semen. In fact, testing semen has been found to be a poor way to detect HPV in infected men. The highest yields come from swabbing the surface of the penis. Although sometimes the virus can be found in semen, it is uncommon.
To the specific questions, the survival duration of HPV in sexual secretions has not been studied. But this really doesn't matter. Transmission through objects that have been in contact with semen almost certainly does not occur, ever. Handling underwear with dried semen simply does not bring a plausible risk of transmission.
As you seem to know, your son's emotional state is the only health problem of concern here. Presumably he is under care for his OCD. If not, I hope you are planning to arrange it. Either way, this issue needs to be explicitly raised with his mental health care provider. As you probably realize, just explaining the facts about HPV transmission to your son is not likely to resolve his fears. And I would point out that, regardless of the fact that his fears have no scientific basis, they are essentially altruistic -- he is taking responsibility for your health, however unsound that idea might be.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
HPV is not spread by fomite contact. His risk for a one time exposure is vey low. The family`s risk is zero. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease.Dry semen will not pass it from one person to the next. Your son has a serious OCD problem. Please have him see a counselor ASAP. Take care.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
With that information, probably the HPV infection that caused her abnormal pap smear has long since resolved, further reducing the chance that your son could have been infected wiuth that strain. Of course I cannot judge whether she might have become infected with other HPV strains in the meantime.
I'm glad your family is on top of the OCD problem. Hang in there.
I'm glad your family is on top of the OCD problem. Hang in there.
And thank you as well, Dallasfan. Your insight is appreciated. :)
Dr. Handsfield,
First off, thank you very much for that information. Yes, he is being treated for his OCD, but we have had a hard time finding medications that work well for him, and he has had to change therapists a couple of times already due to a change in his health insurance policy. Its been a difficult ride for him so far. This information will actually help him though. He has just enough self-control to be able to look at the facts objectively and, with a little will power, limit the impact of his OCD. He struggled with this on his own for years without us knowing about it, so I think he has managed to learn some coping strategies on his own.
Also, a few facts about his previous partner: 1. According to my husband, she told my son that she had her bout with cervical changes (they were "moderate" changes, from what I understand) about 2 years before she met my son. 2. She called to tell him that she recently had a clean pap smear (that happened about three weeks after her encounter with my son, I think). 3. It was her first pap smear since she first received the news that she had moderate cellular abnormalities in her cervix (I don't know why she waited 2 years to go back to her doctor). So is it possible that her infection cleared up on its own before she even met my son? If so, does that make it even less likely that he contracted it? If you don't have time to answer these follow-up questions, I totally understand. I just thought I would ask. In any case, thank you so much for taking the time to lay that out for me. I believe this could help him! Now I just have to get my husband to find a way to share it with him since he obviously doesn't want to talk to his mother about such personal stuff. Take care doctor, and be well. :)
First off, thank you very much for that information. Yes, he is being treated for his OCD, but we have had a hard time finding medications that work well for him, and he has had to change therapists a couple of times already due to a change in his health insurance policy. Its been a difficult ride for him so far. This information will actually help him though. He has just enough self-control to be able to look at the facts objectively and, with a little will power, limit the impact of his OCD. He struggled with this on his own for years without us knowing about it, so I think he has managed to learn some coping strategies on his own.
Also, a few facts about his previous partner: 1. According to my husband, she told my son that she had her bout with cervical changes (they were "moderate" changes, from what I understand) about 2 years before she met my son. 2. She called to tell him that she recently had a clean pap smear (that happened about three weeks after her encounter with my son, I think). 3. It was her first pap smear since she first received the news that she had moderate cellular abnormalities in her cervix (I don't know why she waited 2 years to go back to her doctor). So is it possible that her infection cleared up on its own before she even met my son? If so, does that make it even less likely that he contracted it? If you don't have time to answer these follow-up questions, I totally understand. I just thought I would ask. In any case, thank you so much for taking the time to lay that out for me. I believe this could help him! Now I just have to get my husband to find a way to share it with him since he obviously doesn't want to talk to his mother about such personal stuff. Take care doctor, and be well. :)
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Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
