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HPV transmission with positive HPV test and normal pap
Thanks for your help. Here are my questions.
5 yrs ago, I was dating a guy who cheated on me with other women. I ended the relationship after I found out. A year later, one of the woman who was sleeping with him during the time told me that she was just tested positive with HPV high risk strands. I freaked out and I went to get tested. HPV test came up positively shortly after and I had one abnormal pap right around the same time when HPV test was positive. My test also came back high risk strands. My Gyno didn't recommend colp. So, we had just been monitoring it every 6 months for the last 5 years. the subsequent pap returns to negative after that one initial positive test. I did 2 HPV tests during this time, one 2 years ago and the other 1 month ago, both came back positive. I also just did a biopsy 2 weeks ago and the test came back benign.
The HPV hotline I called 5 years ago, told me that I am only contagious if my partner has unprotected sex with me. If he wears a condom and has no contact with Cervix, he will not contract HPV since my type of virus only lives on the cervix. My previous gyno told me that I am not contagious. I am only contagious if I have warts or lesion which I don't have. My current Gyno told me I am contagious even with condom b/c my HPV test continue to be positive. I am a bit confused with all these information. I recently started seeing a new guy and would like to do the right thing and protect him the best I can. Would you please advise me if and how I am contagious? I feel awful that I have to tell this new guy what I have. But honestly, I am not sure what I should be telling him.
thank you.
Blue whale
5 yrs ago, I was dating a guy who cheated on me with other women. I ended the relationship after I found out. A year later, one of the woman who was sleeping with him during the time told me that she was just tested positive with HPV high risk strands. I freaked out and I went to get tested. HPV test came up positively shortly after and I had one abnormal pap right around the same time when HPV test was positive. My test also came back high risk strands. My Gyno didn't recommend colp. So, we had just been monitoring it every 6 months for the last 5 years. the subsequent pap returns to negative after that one initial positive test. I did 2 HPV tests during this time, one 2 years ago and the other 1 month ago, both came back positive. I also just did a biopsy 2 weeks ago and the test came back benign.
The HPV hotline I called 5 years ago, told me that I am only contagious if my partner has unprotected sex with me. If he wears a condom and has no contact with Cervix, he will not contract HPV since my type of virus only lives on the cervix. My previous gyno told me that I am not contagious. I am only contagious if I have warts or lesion which I don't have. My current Gyno told me I am contagious even with condom b/c my HPV test continue to be positive. I am a bit confused with all these information. I recently started seeing a new guy and would like to do the right thing and protect him the best I can. Would you please advise me if and how I am contagious? I feel awful that I have to tell this new guy what I have. But honestly, I am not sure what I should be telling him.
thank you.
Blue whale
Thank you
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You're just re-asking the same questions with different words. Whether the virus is only on the cervix or also in the vaginal wall isn't knowable and probably makes no difference in transmission risk. Transmission probably is increased when the virus is "massaged" into the skin, but that can occur whether the virus is in an infected person's secretions, tissues, or both.
100% consistent condom use cuts down HPV transmission from male to female by around 70%. There are no data on the protection level for female to male transmission, but presumably it is about the same.
100% consistent condom use cuts down HPV transmission from male to female by around 70%. There are no data on the protection level for female to male transmission, but presumably it is about the same.
Sorry, one more question on location/transmission of the virus. Does the virus exist only on the cervix OR also on the viginal wall? I thought HPV is transmitted by skin to skin contact. But from your answer, it sounded like the transmission is Skin to fluid contact? So, it sounded like that as long as the fluid contains the virus and if the skin comes in contact with the fluid, then there is a chance of transmission. Is this correct? Do you know by any chance how much risk the condom can cut down on transmission? Thanks again for all your help.
thank you very much for your feedback.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Most experts would disagree with your doctor and the hotline. Five years ago that might not have been so clear, so maybe today the hotline advice would be different. Presumably the greatest concentration of HPV is at your cervix, but it is likely that HPV would also be in any vaginal secretions that come from the cervix or are in contact with it. Most likely HPV is transmissible whenever it can be detected by DNA testing.
That said, condoms reduce the chance of transmission. You are right to discuss this with your new partner, and with or without condoms, he should understand there is a risk of infection. However, that may not matter. All sexually active peole get infected somewhere along the line; and the most common types are the high risk ones, like you probably have. But even "high risk" usually never causes serious disease; men almost always are asymptomatic; and in any case, since presumably he has been sexually active, he might have already been infected with the same type you have--and therefore is immune to catching it again.
There are no guarantees in this. However, HPV is not a serious enough condition that it should ever be allowed to interfere with romance, coutrship, or a potentially rewarding sexual relationship.
When you discuss it with him, don't play the "woe is me" game. You just have an impersonal virus, one that everybody gets. Yours happens to have been diagnosed, but most cases are not.
Best wishes. I hope it works out for you. HHH, MD
That said, condoms reduce the chance of transmission. You are right to discuss this with your new partner, and with or without condoms, he should understand there is a risk of infection. However, that may not matter. All sexually active peole get infected somewhere along the line; and the most common types are the high risk ones, like you probably have. But even "high risk" usually never causes serious disease; men almost always are asymptomatic; and in any case, since presumably he has been sexually active, he might have already been infected with the same type you have--and therefore is immune to catching it again.
There are no guarantees in this. However, HPV is not a serious enough condition that it should ever be allowed to interfere with romance, coutrship, or a potentially rewarding sexual relationship.
When you discuss it with him, don't play the "woe is me" game. You just have an impersonal virus, one that everybody gets. Yours happens to have been diagnosed, but most cases are not.
Best wishes. I hope it works out for you. HHH, MD
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