Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

HPV and Other Concerns

My gynecologist tested me for “everything” in January after the first time I had  (very brief ) unprotected sex in October and I was fine. She told me she would not do a herpes blood test because there are many false-positives and misleading results?

I went back for treatment of a yeast infection a week or so ago and mentioned I had bumps inside my vagina. It turns out they were genital warts.

She mentioned that 90% of people get their warts removed and never have to worry about transmitting it or it showing up ever again. I am wondering if the other 10% means they have a recurrence within the next 6 months, or if they have a recurrence much later after they are “for practical purposes” cured. How rare is it for someone who has been seemingly cured to come back years later and have an outbreak from a reactivated infection?

Is there anything I can do to prevent them from recurring?

My doctor said I had a slight yeast infection and gave me pills that have always worked before. Itching gone, but I still have a slightly clumpy white discharge. The discharge also appeared before my itching symptoms. If yeast infection discharge has typically has the appearance or texture of cottage cheese, then what I’m experiencing is more like white tapioca pudding. No smell, no odd color. Could the pill just be taking a while longer than usual? What other possibilities could there be?

I have had itching in my pubic hair for several weeks, I chalked it up to the hair growing back out since I shaved it all off a month ago. It only irritates me when I wear tight underwear, if I wear loose shorts, it doesn’t bother me at all. I found a small pimple-like bump on my pubic area today with raised spot under on hair follicle. Does it sound like I could be experiencing pre-outbreak symptoms? Should I find a blood test despite my doctor’s advice?
6 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Sorry, there are no data to indicate that lifestyle changes such as smoking, drinking or excercise behavior have any direct effect on risk for HPV recurrence.  There are, of course, other benefits.  EWH
Helpful - 1
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
1.  Yeast infections can cause itching and sensitivity but typically there is redness and irriation associated with it. That is the reason I did not raise this possiblity.  

2.  Most warts appear in a few weeks after exposure but there are exceptions.  It is more likely than no that you got them from your more recent partner but not a sure thing.  EWH
Helpful - 1
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to our forum.  I'll try to address your questions, realizing form past posts that we are approaching this from your perspective of an element of anxiety (you referred to it as hypochondria in your post several months ago).  I mention this as it appears that you are quite concerned about STDs.

Let's deal with the warts first.  For better or worse, at present HPV is a "fact of life" and most people have it or will have it at some point in the future.  Despite this fact, only a tiny minority of persons with HPV get the consequences of infection (primarily women and primarily cancer and pre-cancerous lesions).  HPV is the most commonly acquired STD.  Over 85% of sexually active women will have HPV infection at some time in their lives.  The figure for men is less well studied but similar.   In some HPV will cause genital warts, in others it will not cause warts but may lead to changes in PAP smears.  In nearly everyone who gets HPV, warts or otherwise, the infections will resolve by themselves without therapy in 8-24 months.  Once warts have resolved, either with treatment or on their own, if they do not recur in the next 3-6 months persons can consider themselves free of that infection and should not worry about recurrence or transmission to others.  In a very small minority of women, HPV infection can persist and lead to the pre-cancerous lesions that PAP smears detect and which can then be treated.   Given your age and circumstance, my suggestion would be that you should consider seeking the HPV vaccine – it is recommended for all women less than 26 years of age. While the vaccine does not prevent all HPV infections it is a highly effective preventative measure for the two types of HPV that cause most visible genital warts (of which you have presumably had one but not the other) and the two types of HPV which cause over 2/3 of cervical cancer in women. While not absolute prevention, the vaccine is a great step forward in terms of reducing risk for further HPV infections.

The change in the nature of your discharge following treatment for yeast makes me wonder if there might be another infection like bacterial vaginosis (not an STD) present.  If the discharge is clearly abnormal for you and it has been more than a week since your last treatment, you might ask your doctor to evaluate it.

Finally, with respect to HSV, I totally agree with your doctor.  There is no indication for you to have the HSV blood test and it is more likely to be falsely positive than to show infection. The itching you note is common among persons who are examining themselves closely and often represents heightened awareness of sensations which are normally present but become more apparent when we focus on the genital region.

I hope these comments provide some guidance.  EWH
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Thank you so much for your help! All the best.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you so much doctor. I had two of three shots to prevent HPV. *Sigh*

I'm sorry to bother you again, but I think you overlooked one of my questions. I was wondering if there is anything I can do to keep the warts from recurring? No smoking? No drinking? Diet and exercise? Thank you.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you very much for answering quickly and with patience for my admitted over-anxiety about my vagina. I really appreciate this website and all you do for people with concerns. That being said, I respect and recognize the rule about how many posts I can submit per a 6 month period and hopefully I won't ever feel the need to again.

Couple last questions:

1) Is it possible I have a yeast infection in my pubic area which would cause the irritated hair follicles and sensitivity? Would a topical cream be more helpful for this? I will ask my gyno about bacterial vaginosis when I go Thursday to have my warts removed.

2) Since these warts just showed up about a month ago, it would be right to assume that I recieved them from my most recent sex partner (March) rather than my brief encounter in October of last year?

Thank you.
Helpful - 0

You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum

Popular Resources
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.