Aw_ny, that quote is directly from Dr. Handsfield. Have you read his credentials? I don't understand why you would ask for a second opinion from a bunch of random people in the peer to peer forum. I was an English major in college, what could I say that would hold a candle to Dr. Handsfield's expertise? You should just take the time to read as many of his posts as possible....if you search for HPV or HPV warts or HPV Questions, he addresses these things many times. Off the top of my head, these are the things I remember him saying:
-HPV isn't a big deal. If you've had 3 sex partners in your life you probably had it...chances are a sexually active person will get HPV several times in their lifetime. (There are 30-40 sexually transmitted strains, you can catch each strain once.)
-There are two strains of HPV that cause the majority of warts...6 and 11 I think, but don't quote me on that. The most sensitive DNA tests available show that within 6-12 months of warts no longer being present there are no traces of the virus left in the body. Accordingly, while it's possible that some people will have recurrent symptoms and will infectious again in the future, the vast majority of people will not. Dr. Handsfield's opinion is that 6 months after no longer having warts you are no longer ethically required, and it's not even recommended, that you inform future partners of your past infection. The only reason to inform someone is for the sake of building a relationship on complete openness and honesty, if you are in fact interested in building a relationship.
-Some experts disagree with Dr. Handsfield. You should read as much as possible and make your own decisions. But you should read from credible sources. Here are a couple posts you can start with from Dr. H. The first one is his response to someone who disagrees with him:
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/STD/messages/2196.html
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/STD/messages/3590.html
The irritation doesn't sound like an STD. It's very unlikely that Herpes would only go into remission for one week between outbreaks. HPV shows itself as warts, if at all. Chances are its something along the lines of dry skin, anxiety, or even the nightly Cortoaid usage. You should see a dermatologist about it if it keeps bothering you.