Possible - yes. common, no. Exact transmission rates are unknown. EWH
Dr. Hook,
Just to clarify, is genital to oral transmission from the host carrier even possible? If so, is the risk of oral transmission less so than with genital to genital contact?
Thanks!
You ask a variety of questions, several of which still do not have good answers. If you have a partner with genital HPV, it would be quite unusual for her to pass it on to you through oral sex. Even if she did, this really is not a big deal as HPV is of little direct consequence for men and the vast majority of infections (which are not detectable without special tests - HPV 16 does not cause visible warts) will clear by themselves without any residua in less than 2 years.
As for the issue of HPV clearance, let me share with you a comment that Dr. Handsfield made recently which summarizes our perspectives well. "Many HPV biologists believe HPV DNA usually or always persists indefinitely. However, even with the most sensitive tests available in research labs, the virus becomes undetectable, typically over several months to a year or two -- longer for the high-risk (cancer-associated) HPV types, shorter for low risk and wart-causing strains like HPV-6 and -11. After that, it is uncommon for that particular infection to reactivate -- i.e. recurrent warts or newly abnormal pap smears are infrequent -- and subsequent transmission to sex partners is rare. So for practical purposes, the infection is completely resolved and can be considered cured. "Uncommon" doesn't mean these things never happen; they do, but infrequently. "
Hope these comments help. For additional information you may wish to take a look at the American Social Health Association web site - it has much excellent information. (disclosure, both Dr. Handsfield and I are on the ASHA Board). EWH