So Confused about Genital Warts/ HPV

[missh86]

About a week and a half ago, I went to my GYN because I found two "whitehead- looking things" on my vagina... It turns out that they were genital warts. She froze them off but told me that this is a virus that never goes away and that I would have to deal with this for the rest of my life. That was basically all she said~ needless to say, I left the doctor's office in tears and with more questions than when I went in.

Two days later I spoke to one of the nurses at Planned Parenthood regarding genital warts and she basically says that genital warts might never come back. She said that HPV does become dormant in your body after a while and that a healthy immune system will fight off the virus. She advised me to keep using protection and that if warts are present I should abstain from having sex. She also said that I would be able to have children if I wanted to and that an unborn child rarely contracts HPV from the mother.

This made me feel a bit better but why the contradiction???

I have read up on genital warts and I read a lot of conflicting stories. Some say that this goes away and some say that it does not.

Questions:
1)If I have sex with my boyfriend while not having warts present, can he get warts?
2)If he give me oral sex while me not having warts present, can he get them in his mouth?
3)If he does have HPV, which supposedly there is no test for men, and I give him oral sex- will I get warts in my mouth?
4)After my immune system "fights off" the virus, can I have unprotected sex and not give hpv to my partner?
5) Does Hpv ever really go away?
6) Does this type of HPV cause cervical cancer?
7)Am I more prone to getting cervical cancer because I have this type of HPV?

Please someone help me~
Soooo Confused

[auntiejessi]

Hi there -

The nurse at Planned Parenthood was right, and its a shame, but not all doctors are up to date as they should be.  We've known for a few years now that HPV is not lifelong, and your doctor should know that.

To your questions -

1)If I have sex with my boyfriend while not having warts present, can he get warts?

Yes, at least for several months.  My guess would be that he's already been exposed though, and you might have even gotten it from him.

2)If he give me oral sex while me not having warts present, can he get them in his mouth?

This is a possibility, but its rare.
3)If he does have HPV, which supposedly there is no test for men, and I give him oral sex- will I get warts in my mouth?

Again, a possibility, but its rare.

4)After my immune system "fights off" the virus, can I have unprotected sex and not give hpv to my partner?

Yes, but this can take several months to a couple of years.

5) Does Hpv ever really go away?

We don't know if it leaves the body or just goes dormant, but the longer you go without symptoms, the better the chance it won't come back.  However, there are dozens of strains that affect the genital area, and you can get another strain later.

6) Does this type of HPV cause cervical cancer?

No.

7)Am I more prone to getting cervical cancer because I have this type of HPV?

No.  There are 2 kinds of HPV - high risk and low risk.  The low risk kind gives you visible warts, and the low risk kind gives you abnormal cells on your cervix, which can lead to cervical cancer.  After these warts are gone, and have been gone for several months, you should talk to your doctor about the HPV vaccine.

We also have a great HPV forum here that you should check out, and also check out www.ashastd.org

Aj

[missh86]

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions-
Here is one more-

I am 30 years old and I was told that I am too old for the HPV vaccine, is that accurate?

[auntiejessi]

Yeah its accurate, but some doctors are giving the vaccine to people who are older, but you'd have to pay for it yourself most likely.

We hope that the FDA will approve the vaccine for older women and males sometimes soon.

Aj