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Risk for genital warts/anal warts/HPV
I've already posted in the community forum but I would like to get a professional opinion. Anyway, to start, my only sexual exposures are to be the recipient of oral sex (from a female; I am a straight male), fingering the girl then getting vaginal fluids on my hand then rubbing my penis with the same hand and finally, brief penis-vagina contact by which time I had on a condom but who knows if other parts (maybe my scrotum) came into contact. The oral sex and the hand-genital contact involving genital secretions were both unprotected instances. My only symptom that I've experienced was a bump about 2-3 inches from the anal opening, so it was close to the anal opening but I would say still technically on my right butt-cheek.
1) I've read posts but some posts say HPV only affects where there has been contact, and so anal contact needs to occur, not necessarily through anal sex, but at least with an infective agent (say genital secretions or otherwise) for it to even be possible for a wart to appear on the butt or anal area. Is that true? Is it possible that it could have been a wart even though I have never engaged in any sort of anal contact of any sort whatsoever? I thought the only possible place for a genital wart to appear given my exposures was the penis or scrotum.
2) I've read several posts concerning hand-genital contact involving genital secretions. Some posts say it doesn't happen or that there is a theoretical risk but no proven cases. Some posts say it can happen. My understanding is that it can happen but there has been no proven cases behind it. To be specific I am referring to hand-genital contact with genital secretions on the hand just as I have described in my case. Is HPV transmission possible through what I've done? And, even if it is possible, has there been any proven cases of this or does it remain in the realm of theory? Was there any risk given my exposures as far as HPV is concerned or should I just drop this?
1) I've read posts but some posts say HPV only affects where there has been contact, and so anal contact needs to occur, not necessarily through anal sex, but at least with an infective agent (say genital secretions or otherwise) for it to even be possible for a wart to appear on the butt or anal area. Is that true? Is it possible that it could have been a wart even though I have never engaged in any sort of anal contact of any sort whatsoever? I thought the only possible place for a genital wart to appear given my exposures was the penis or scrotum.
2) I've read several posts concerning hand-genital contact involving genital secretions. Some posts say it doesn't happen or that there is a theoretical risk but no proven cases. Some posts say it can happen. My understanding is that it can happen but there has been no proven cases behind it. To be specific I am referring to hand-genital contact with genital secretions on the hand just as I have described in my case. Is HPV transmission possible through what I've done? And, even if it is possible, has there been any proven cases of this or does it remain in the realm of theory? Was there any risk given my exposures as far as HPV is concerned or should I just drop this?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the STD forum. I'll try to help.
In response to the opening paragraph, before I deal with the specific questions: Basically, you are still a virgin. That means there is almost no chance you acquired genital warts. Oral sex doesn't transmit HPV, as far as is known; hand-genital contact might do it, but is rare; and the brief non-penetrating genital contact probably was too little to carry much risk. To the specific questions:
1) Your information is correct. Warts mostly appear at the exact spots where the virus is massaged into the skin during sex. There are excpetions, and some anal warts can occur by auto-inoculation -- that is, transmission by a person's own fingers. But that requires a genital HPV infection to start, and for the reasons above, it is unlikely you have that either. In other words, the fact that your anal area was not exposed sexually makes it very unlikely you could have anal warts. And as you wer told by auntjessie on the STD community forum, a single bump near the anus is not likely to be a wart anyway.
2) Hand-genital contact probably transmits the occasional HPV infection. But it is not proven. All we know is that once in a while, patients present with genital HPV infections and say they have not had genital sex, but have had hand-genital contact. But it's also possible that some genital HPV infections are not sexually acquired at all. If hand-genital exposure results in some HPV infections, it is a rare event.
Your mistake here is to assume the worst, that your anal bump was a wart, and then never see a health care provider to check it out. If the bump is still there, go to a provider now. If it is gone, just forget the whole thing.
You made a very appropriate comment on the community forum, in asking why there is such stigma about genital warts. You seemed to be saying that people make too big a deal about warts. You were exactly right. But at the same time, that is exactly how you seem to be reacting to the possibility it might have happened to you.
Bottom lines (no pun intended): Based on your risk history, it is extremely unlikely your anal bump was a wart. If it was, what's the big deal? It's only a minor inconvenience, not an important health threat. See a provider if the bump is still there. Otherwise, please just forget the whole thing. This has been taking far more of your time and emotional energy than it deserves.
Regards-- HHH, MD
In response to the opening paragraph, before I deal with the specific questions: Basically, you are still a virgin. That means there is almost no chance you acquired genital warts. Oral sex doesn't transmit HPV, as far as is known; hand-genital contact might do it, but is rare; and the brief non-penetrating genital contact probably was too little to carry much risk. To the specific questions:
1) Your information is correct. Warts mostly appear at the exact spots where the virus is massaged into the skin during sex. There are excpetions, and some anal warts can occur by auto-inoculation -- that is, transmission by a person's own fingers. But that requires a genital HPV infection to start, and for the reasons above, it is unlikely you have that either. In other words, the fact that your anal area was not exposed sexually makes it very unlikely you could have anal warts. And as you wer told by auntjessie on the STD community forum, a single bump near the anus is not likely to be a wart anyway.
2) Hand-genital contact probably transmits the occasional HPV infection. But it is not proven. All we know is that once in a while, patients present with genital HPV infections and say they have not had genital sex, but have had hand-genital contact. But it's also possible that some genital HPV infections are not sexually acquired at all. If hand-genital exposure results in some HPV infections, it is a rare event.
Your mistake here is to assume the worst, that your anal bump was a wart, and then never see a health care provider to check it out. If the bump is still there, go to a provider now. If it is gone, just forget the whole thing.
You made a very appropriate comment on the community forum, in asking why there is such stigma about genital warts. You seemed to be saying that people make too big a deal about warts. You were exactly right. But at the same time, that is exactly how you seem to be reacting to the possibility it might have happened to you.
Bottom lines (no pun intended): Based on your risk history, it is extremely unlikely your anal bump was a wart. If it was, what's the big deal? It's only a minor inconvenience, not an important health threat. See a provider if the bump is still there. Otherwise, please just forget the whole thing. This has been taking far more of your time and emotional energy than it deserves.
Regards-- HHH, MD
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I endorse the advice you gave your friend and have no other comments. If s/he remains concerned, s/he can post a question in a new thread.
Thank you Dr. Handsfield, that truly puts my mind at ease. Thank you for the great service you provide here at medhelp.
This question I'm asking is for the sake of a friend's concern. I told him about this site and he asked me if he could ask a similar question. He's concerned over hand-anal contact. I told him to get checked out if symptoms develop but not to worry about it. He told me that he had asked a nurse if having fresh vaginal secretions on your hand then touching your anal area could result in HPV transmission and he said that the nurse said that "it's quite possible." I responded by saying that there's a difference between a theoretical risk and one that actually plays out in the real world. I showed him one of your old posts: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/248214 where someone asks "is there absolutely no risk of STD by anal fingering at all - even if there was no condom and fresh bodily fluids such as vaginal fluid present on the fingers of the person fingering the anus?" to which you replied, "Not once in my 30+ years in this business have I ever seen a rectal or anal STD in a person whose only exposure was the sort you describe. It's just too rare to worry about." So, even though it's quite obvious what the answer is, and for his sake, does that hold true when it comes to HPV as well? Thanks.
This question I'm asking is for the sake of a friend's concern. I told him about this site and he asked me if he could ask a similar question. He's concerned over hand-anal contact. I told him to get checked out if symptoms develop but not to worry about it. He told me that he had asked a nurse if having fresh vaginal secretions on your hand then touching your anal area could result in HPV transmission and he said that the nurse said that "it's quite possible." I responded by saying that there's a difference between a theoretical risk and one that actually plays out in the real world. I showed him one of your old posts: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/248214 where someone asks "is there absolutely no risk of STD by anal fingering at all - even if there was no condom and fresh bodily fluids such as vaginal fluid present on the fingers of the person fingering the anus?" to which you replied, "Not once in my 30+ years in this business have I ever seen a rectal or anal STD in a person whose only exposure was the sort you describe. It's just too rare to worry about." So, even though it's quite obvious what the answer is, and for his sake, does that hold true when it comes to HPV as well? Thanks.
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
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