Warts on genitals & hand, and HPV question

[fcp]

I have 2 questions to ask, but here's a brief summary of my situation before I ask them.  I'm a male who has been diagnosed with genital warts (and hence, HPV).  I first noticed them 4 months ago.  I have also had warts on my hand for the past 3 years (I've had them removed, but new ones have recurred).

1) Are the warts on my hand and on my genitals caused by the same exact HPV virus?  Could I have been infected through my hand first?  And then passed the warts on to my genitals?  Is it even possible that my penis can infect my hand and vice versa?

2) I've read conflicting things about whether HPV will ever be "cleared".  The consensus is that HPV can be "cleared" with a good immune system.  But does "cleared" only refer to the warts themselves, while HPV is simply lying dormant in our bodies but still there (and still transmittable)?  Or does "cleared" mean that HPV is totally rid from our bodies?

Thank you very much for your help!

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome to the STD forum.  Good questions.

Various types of HPV are more prone to infect some parts of the body more than others.  The genital types rarely infect the hands, and the types that cause common warts on the hands, feet, etc rarely infect the genitals.  Most likely your hand and genital wars are due to entirely different HPV strains.  People rarely if ever transfer warts from genitals to hands or vise versa.

There is not complete agreement among the experts about HPV persistence.  Some believe that all infections persist at some level for life, or at least that HPV DNA persists in infected tissues.  Others aren't so sure.  What is clear, however, is that the large majority of infections clear up to a point at which the most sensitive available HPV tests can no longer detect the virus or DNA.  When that happens, transmission to partners and later recurrence are uncommon; for all practical purposes, the infection can be considered cured by the immune system.  However, this is an area of uncertainty and future research could change our understanding.  Stay tuned.

I hope this helps.  Take care--  HHH, MD

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I meant to say that you should see your health care provider, or a dermatologist, if your hand warts continue to recur, to confirm the diagnosis.  It's not common for warts to continue to recur for 3 years and therefore a good idea to be sure that apparent recurrences aren't due to some other cause of skin bumps.

[fcp]

Thank you very much for your insightful answer.  It was very helpful.  I also wonder, is it safe for my partner to perform oral sex on me as long as there are no cuts in her mouth and lip?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Genital HPV types often can be detected in the mouths of sexually active persons, suggesting acquisition by oral sex.  However, orals warts are rare and oral sex is not known to transmit HPV to a partner's genitals.  In other words, most oral infections probably are minor and inconsequential.  Nevertheless, many (most?) experts would say that people with overt genital warts should avoid any unprotected sex (oral, vaginal, anal) with new partners, just to be maximally safe.  For a regular partner who has been repeatedly exposed already, there is no need to change sexual practices.

As far as known, cuts or other open sores make no difference in risk of HPV or warts.