HPV? Molluscum? Or something else? Need help

[Kate432]

A while ago (around Jan '07), one day found a bump that later became more bumps and spread to my bottom and all around (but not directly on) my vaginal area.  I did a lot of research on what it looked like, went to the doctor, scared that it was herpes, and asked the doctor if it was Molluscum Contagiosum or something worse.  She said yes it was Molluscum, I took a pap smear, and had a normal pap.  The doctor told me to wait for it to heal and clear up, and it eventually all cleared up.

That same year, I felt something peculiar when I leaned against my couch and felt some pressure near my pelvis.  I felt around and it felt like a soft, moveable, mass- about the size of a golf ball.  I was worried that it was something serious, researching didnt help- so I went to the doctor again to tell them about it and to feel for any masses, and the doctor could not find anything.  I knew it was there and it did not feel normal like an organ or something of that nature.  Yet I knew I needed another opinion since the doctors at my school/university where i got it examined are not that great.  I still need to schedule an appointment with my gyno at home in order to find out what is wrong.  As of now, it feels somewhat bigger.

The molluscum contagiosum was clear for months and everything felt fine.  Yet, now, I have had returning bumps one at a time that show up then clear up.  They look the same as the molluscum I had before, and I heard they can possibly return, so I figured that's what was happening.  I am sexually active very frequently, but only have been with my boyfriend since last year when everything started.  I told him when I first got the molluscum that I think I got it from him and to get checked out.  He hasn't yet, thinking everything was alright since my molluscum cleared up, but now I'm telling him to get checked out again.  One time we were having sex and I saw a similar to molluscum bump on his penis.  I told him about it, and I will know shortly when he takes his tests if they are normal or not.

I think the most odd thing right now that I am dealing with is whenever I go to the bathroom, my anus is SO sensitive to almost wripping or bleeding, and I get small painful cuts whenever stretched at all.  I do NOT have anal sex much, but have done it a few times before and it did not hurt or rip at the time.  I heard it may be hemmoroids (hemorrhoids), but I couldn't help but wonder if it has something to do with the molluscum or something worse.  Even more recent, my vaginal area has been itchy sometimes and I'm having a fairly heavy discharge that is many times yellow, which made me think HPV.  When looking up symptom of HPV, I wondered if my "molluscum" was really symptoms of HPV warts of some sort.  I also wondered if the mass in my lower left pelvis area was possibly cancer caused by HPV or a tumor, or -less severe- a large cyst.

I have asked family and friends and even incompetent doctors about this and none seem to be able to help.  And until I can finally find time to schedule an appointment with my gynocologist at home, who needs appointments scheduled a month in advance, I am lost and very worried.  If I can get any advice or help with my situation, it would be GREATLY appreciated.  Any information I can get is helpful.  I tried looking up an article that was suggested from a previous post but I could not find it.  I need to be pointed in the right direction with information, and get some input in the meantime please.  THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[stillHurting]

Well, neither HPV nor molluscum is going to cause any sort of discharge or itching.  You may well have that symptom, but if something is causing that it's another condition.  Possibly yeast, BV, something like that.

Second, if your doctor was pretty confident with the molluscum diagnosis, then that's most likely what you have.  Unlike HPV, the body does not become immune to the strain of molluscum infecting you. Therefore if your boyfriend has it, reinfection is not only possible but likely.  You'd both have to be treated for it at the same time to make sure it's clear for good.

HPV or molluscum is also not going to be responsible for your anal symptoms.  Once again, you might have something else going on.  Sometimes life is a little unfair like that, and several things can be wrong at once!  But hemorrhoids, if that's what it is, are neither uncommon or very worrisome.  Just inconvenient.  Not to dismiss it, I'm sure it's quite uncomfortable.

The only STD which could cause cuts or tears on the anus could be herpes.  But if you haven't had sex there often, that's not likely.  You could of course be tested and know for sure if you have it or not, if negative, then clearly it's something else.  Not a terrible idea to get a herpes test if you're sexually active anyway.

If your pap smear is clear, then there's not much of a reason to suspect HPV for causing cancer.  However, if you do have some sort of a bump, you're doing the right thing in getting it checked out.  Once again, it might be a problem, but I can't see how it would be related to the mollusum you had before.

Good luck with everything.

[Kate432]

Your response was very helpful.. thank you VERY much!  I am hoping for the best or hoping if it is anything that it is minor and treatable.  I know the last time I went to the gyno was at most 6 months ago, and since then I have only been with my boyfriend- yet I am wondering..  If the doctor did not do a test with a swap around my anal area, would herpes still show up if I was really positive for it?  Are any of my symptoms a sign of herpes? If you can please let me know.  Thank you!!!!!

[stillHurting]

I only mentioned herpes to list it as a possibility, but I don't think it really matches your symptoms and it's very unlikely that it's the cause.   But to answer your question, if you were having an outbreak rectally, then a swab there in the appropriate amount of time (1-2 days after first noticing symptoms) would reveal herpes if it were present.  But I really, really don't think that's what is going on.

I would like to hear back what the doctor says once you go, sometimes that information is helpful to other people.