HPV Transmission

[leo27]

Dr., I have read through the forum and cannot seem to find the exact answer to my question. I was in a relationship off and on for two months in the summer of 2004. I met a girl one evening, had to much to drink and had unprotected sex with her. It was after we spent another weekend together and had sex three times that she told me that she had been diagnosed with a type of HPV, but she didn't say which type. Unfortunately, I had never even heard of it. She was diagnosed two years prior and was having regular paps done every six motnhs. The two paps she had previous to meeting me showed no signs of anything. She actually had one less than a month before we met, which was negative. Could her body have supressed it and not have passed it on to me. Also, our relationship ended very negatively in Nov. of 2004 and I haven't spoken to her since. The last time I had intercourse with her was in Aug. of 2004. I was extremely worried for a long time about HPV and had seen my GP several times in regards to it. I had all the tests done and all were negative.I have never had any signs of warts since I was with her. It has almost been two years and I am still very worried. The reason for my extra concern is that I have been in a relationship for the last nine months and we have always had protected sex. This past weekend we didn't. I wanted to know if I had anything to worry about from having unprotected sex with her this one time. I haven't said anything about the past because I never had any symptoms. I wasn't sure if I caught it in the first place since my ex-girlfriend had no signs of it for over a year. I have only been with three girls in four years and the one infected was in the middle and the previous girl was a virgin.

My girlfriend's annual pap test is scheduled in a month. Do I worry I might have given it to her. We had sex for the first time in NOV. of 2005. So it had been 17 months since the first time with my previous girlfriend and 15 months since I had sexual intercourse with her. I am really scared that she might break up with me. Her and I have talked about marriage in the future and I have alot of anxiety that I might have given HPV to her and it would cause our relationship to end. Please let me know if there is any way I caught it in the first place? What are the chances of passing it after not having any symptoms? What are the chances that it has totally left my body? Do I need to keep worrying, because it has really bothered me the last two years. I had asked her about her history and she said all of her tests were negative last summer before we met in July.

Thank you.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Nobody should worry much about any particular sexual exposure and the likelihood of HPV infection.  With 3 lifetime sex partners, the odds are fair you already have been infected with HPV anyway.  But since your partner of 2004 had been infected 2 years prior to that, the odds also are are strong she no longer carried that virus strain.  And if you indeed were infected somewhere along the line, the odds are strong that it's no longer active; most HPV infections clear up on their own within several months.  Finally, if your GF has had a typical past sex life, she also has a good chance of having been infected with HPV.

The point is that we all get HPV somewhere along the line.  It's not desired, but it is expected, normal, and basically unavaoidable for the average sexually active person.  Since neither you nor your girlfriend has any symptoms or known active HPV infection at this time, I suggest you disregard any concern about HPV transmission.  If your GF would end your relationship because HPV pops up, then she needs education about HPV herself; that would be a highly inappropriate response.  Her negative tests to date (assuming she means pap tests) don't say anything about whether or not she has had HPV or not; and a future positive test will not necessarily have come from you.

Good luck-- HHH, MD

[ChicShane]

"I had all the tests done and all were negative".

There are no tests for men when it comes to HPV (unless you have visual warts).  What HPV tests did you get??