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HPV with no real answers...
2009 had a wart-type thing on my penis. Went in, the local HD said it was an HPV wart and it would go away in 2 yrs. I wasnt satisfied so i went to planned parenthood who said it was not an STD (4 people looked) and probably something fungal or bacterial. Froze it off. The guy who froze it said it was an hpv wart but was nothing to worry about and i could have protected sex again. Another one came. The next people said it was nothing and not an STD. Froze it. Another wart like thing popped up in 2011/2012, had it froze, and again the guy said it was nothing. Since then it hasnt come back.
In 2010 i started dating a girl and began to have sex w BC. in late 2010 it was discovered she had an abnormal pap and dysplasia on her vagina and her cervix and it needed to be removed. It was removed in 2011. By early 2012 it was discovered the HPV wasnt gone and she had to get it removed again in fall 2012. Since then she has had 1 or 2 normal paps. Is she clear?
Me and my gf are doing horribly as a couple, and probably will break up. Im terrified. I dont know what to do and doubt ill be able to date again. Even if her tests come back clear can i ever say i am? All the dr's have given me mixed advice, and i dont know whats right. Bc i was with her, for sure ive been exposed to high risk hpv. I havent had any of those wart-things since early 2012. If they were nothing like some drs said, i still started having sex with my gf in 2010 - meaning now around 3 yrs of contact. If its from me not her, my Symptoms started 2009 - putting me at 4 years since first discovered. My dr now spends very little time w me and leaves me anxious. He just says - use a condom until 'monogamous' relationship. This is horribly simplistic. have sex casually is fine but im not clear enough not to tell a partner?! Am I clear? What is the amount of time usually that passes for me to say im statistically in the clear? what shuld i do and/or tell a future partner if we break up?Whats accurate?
In 2010 i started dating a girl and began to have sex w BC. in late 2010 it was discovered she had an abnormal pap and dysplasia on her vagina and her cervix and it needed to be removed. It was removed in 2011. By early 2012 it was discovered the HPV wasnt gone and she had to get it removed again in fall 2012. Since then she has had 1 or 2 normal paps. Is she clear?
Me and my gf are doing horribly as a couple, and probably will break up. Im terrified. I dont know what to do and doubt ill be able to date again. Even if her tests come back clear can i ever say i am? All the dr's have given me mixed advice, and i dont know whats right. Bc i was with her, for sure ive been exposed to high risk hpv. I havent had any of those wart-things since early 2012. If they were nothing like some drs said, i still started having sex with my gf in 2010 - meaning now around 3 yrs of contact. If its from me not her, my Symptoms started 2009 - putting me at 4 years since first discovered. My dr now spends very little time w me and leaves me anxious. He just says - use a condom until 'monogamous' relationship. This is horribly simplistic. have sex casually is fine but im not clear enough not to tell a partner?! Am I clear? What is the amount of time usually that passes for me to say im statistically in the clear? what shuld i do and/or tell a future partner if we break up?Whats accurate?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. I'll try to help.
You are asking about many of the standard, common issues that can cause confusion about HPV infections. I'll start by providing links to other threads that go into many of these issues in great detail; as you will see, one of them also contains additional links to other discussions. Please read them all. You'll also see advice about some online sources for accurate information.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/concerned/show/980849
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/HPV-AND-CLEARANCE/show/1137032
From your story, I can't be sure whether or not you definitely had genital warts. Probably yes -- but there are atypical features, especially having recurrent warts for a couple of years. That can happen, but it's the exception, not the rule.
Assuming you did have warts, your partner's abnormal pap smears may not have anything to do with them. The more advanced types of pap smear abnormaltities -- the kind requiring removal or part of the cervix -- are usually due to different HPV strains than the ones that cause warts.
It is almost never possible to know for certain when, and from which partner, HPV was acquired. I would suggest you don't try to understand when and where either you or your wife was infected.
Most experts do not recommend routinely informing partners of past HPV infections. Since you have not had apparent warts for a couple of years, there is no reason you need to say anything about it to new sex partners. Your girlfriend's abnormal pap also doesn't obligate you to say anything. As for condom use, that of course is wise for all new sexual relationships, until mutual monogamy is assured.
One of the main bottom line messages about HPV is that it should pretty much be ignored. The large majority of infections cause either no symptoms at all, or minor ones like warts, which are an inconvenience, not a serious health prolbem. And most infections clear up on their own (at least to a point they cannot be transmitted to new partners) within several months, sometimes up to a couple of years.
I hope this has started you on a path to better understanding and to reduced worry. Read the other threads as well, then feel free to return with follow-up comments or questions if things aren't clear.
Best regards-- HHH, MD
You are asking about many of the standard, common issues that can cause confusion about HPV infections. I'll start by providing links to other threads that go into many of these issues in great detail; as you will see, one of them also contains additional links to other discussions. Please read them all. You'll also see advice about some online sources for accurate information.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/concerned/show/980849
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/HPV-AND-CLEARANCE/show/1137032
From your story, I can't be sure whether or not you definitely had genital warts. Probably yes -- but there are atypical features, especially having recurrent warts for a couple of years. That can happen, but it's the exception, not the rule.
Assuming you did have warts, your partner's abnormal pap smears may not have anything to do with them. The more advanced types of pap smear abnormaltities -- the kind requiring removal or part of the cervix -- are usually due to different HPV strains than the ones that cause warts.
It is almost never possible to know for certain when, and from which partner, HPV was acquired. I would suggest you don't try to understand when and where either you or your wife was infected.
Most experts do not recommend routinely informing partners of past HPV infections. Since you have not had apparent warts for a couple of years, there is no reason you need to say anything about it to new sex partners. Your girlfriend's abnormal pap also doesn't obligate you to say anything. As for condom use, that of course is wise for all new sexual relationships, until mutual monogamy is assured.
One of the main bottom line messages about HPV is that it should pretty much be ignored. The large majority of infections cause either no symptoms at all, or minor ones like warts, which are an inconvenience, not a serious health prolbem. And most infections clear up on their own (at least to a point they cannot be transmitted to new partners) within several months, sometimes up to a couple of years.
I hope this has started you on a path to better understanding and to reduced worry. Read the other threads as well, then feel free to return with follow-up comments or questions if things aren't clear.
Best regards-- HHH, MD
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Sorry for the delayed response.
1) In my opinion, you are OK to go ahead new sexual partnerships.
2) You misinterpreted my past comments. From an HPV prevention perspective, you need not say anything to any new partner, committed or not. What I said before is that it often makes sense to discuss past STDs with potentially committed partners simply from the standpoint of openness and trust. It's a relationship issue, not one of disease prevention.
This is entirely my personal perspective and advice. I don't know if you'll find it expressed in just this way by CDC or anywhere else, so I cannot give you another source.
That will wind up this thread. I won't have any further advice. Best wishes.
1) In my opinion, you are OK to go ahead new sexual partnerships.
2) You misinterpreted my past comments. From an HPV prevention perspective, you need not say anything to any new partner, committed or not. What I said before is that it often makes sense to discuss past STDs with potentially committed partners simply from the standpoint of openness and trust. It's a relationship issue, not one of disease prevention.
This is entirely my personal perspective and advice. I don't know if you'll find it expressed in just this way by CDC or anywhere else, so I cannot give you another source.
That will wind up this thread. I won't have any further advice. Best wishes.
Hey sorry the above post was so long. Ill summarize in case that helps promptness. I know you are busy.
1) Despite the fact that i may have been exposed to both low risk (warts type) and high risk (partner had 2 loop procedures), since it has been a year or so since any symptoms were present, you believe I am 'ok' to have new sexual partners at this point?
2) While saying "experts do not recommend routinely informing partners," youve also said it should be wise to inform future "committed" partners of past STDs. My question is - before partners get to the place where serious commitment seems likely, it is normal to have sex many times before coming to that realization. Youre advising telling that partner after a sexual relationship has been started about my past HPV situation if they seem like they will become a long-term partner? I just want to make sure my important decisions are based on a Dr's opinions so i can say - 'hey, read this'. Also- could you give me another source, say, the CDC for ex, where this same advice is given? THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1) Despite the fact that i may have been exposed to both low risk (warts type) and high risk (partner had 2 loop procedures), since it has been a year or so since any symptoms were present, you believe I am 'ok' to have new sexual partners at this point?
2) While saying "experts do not recommend routinely informing partners," youve also said it should be wise to inform future "committed" partners of past STDs. My question is - before partners get to the place where serious commitment seems likely, it is normal to have sex many times before coming to that realization. Youre advising telling that partner after a sexual relationship has been started about my past HPV situation if they seem like they will become a long-term partner? I just want to make sure my important decisions are based on a Dr's opinions so i can say - 'hey, read this'. Also- could you give me another source, say, the CDC for ex, where this same advice is given? THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dr. Handsfield,
I do have a couple of clarification questions after reading many previous blogs youve written in. But first of all, I want to say thank you so much for providing this service. Seeing all of this information, after years of inner stress and anxiety on the subject, lifts a great weight off of my chest and makes me feel like I can feel 'normal' again. I know youre just doing your job....but THANK YOU.
Ok - 1) when 6-24 months is written - should I think of this time frame as the usual time it take the virus to leave the body, or the amount of time after symptoms have disappeared that I should wait, in a clear conscious, to engage in sexual activity once again? In other words - since my contact with my current partner started in 2010, and my symptoms, while recurring, cleared in 2012 - does this fit the time frame or should i give it another 12 months to be safe? I know you sort of said it was good above, i just want reassurance i suppose.
2) Since my gf did have those loop procedures her HPV must have been high risk. Assuming those things on my penis were HPV warts, that is generally low risk. This would mean of course I was exposed to both. And - in my case, if it was HPV warts, the length of recurrence of my warts is rare. Despite these facts, the clearance and ability to have sex with new partners remains the same? Good to go?
3) I find most of your more recent posts state that, like this one - "there is no reason you need to say anything about it to new sex partners. Your girlfriend's abnormal pap also doesn't obligate you to say anything."
However in a 2009 post you wrote - "Second, it is reasonable to consider the nature of the relationship. Most important, it's probably wise to tell current or future committed partners, e.g. when a long term relationship seems on the horizon, about past STDs. In the event such a partner later develops an HPV problem -- say warts or an abnormal pap smear -- it's generally better to have had "the talk" well ahead of time, and not in response to a new diagnosis and possible emotional crisis."
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Confused-about-hpv-interpretation/show/763984
Have your views slightly changed on the subject as time has passed about advice in regards to telling future partners? Im not trying to be a stickler, just wanting to understand thoroughly and making sure i am critically thinking everything through. Thank you for your time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I do have a couple of clarification questions after reading many previous blogs youve written in. But first of all, I want to say thank you so much for providing this service. Seeing all of this information, after years of inner stress and anxiety on the subject, lifts a great weight off of my chest and makes me feel like I can feel 'normal' again. I know youre just doing your job....but THANK YOU.
Ok - 1) when 6-24 months is written - should I think of this time frame as the usual time it take the virus to leave the body, or the amount of time after symptoms have disappeared that I should wait, in a clear conscious, to engage in sexual activity once again? In other words - since my contact with my current partner started in 2010, and my symptoms, while recurring, cleared in 2012 - does this fit the time frame or should i give it another 12 months to be safe? I know you sort of said it was good above, i just want reassurance i suppose.
2) Since my gf did have those loop procedures her HPV must have been high risk. Assuming those things on my penis were HPV warts, that is generally low risk. This would mean of course I was exposed to both. And - in my case, if it was HPV warts, the length of recurrence of my warts is rare. Despite these facts, the clearance and ability to have sex with new partners remains the same? Good to go?
3) I find most of your more recent posts state that, like this one - "there is no reason you need to say anything about it to new sex partners. Your girlfriend's abnormal pap also doesn't obligate you to say anything."
However in a 2009 post you wrote - "Second, it is reasonable to consider the nature of the relationship. Most important, it's probably wise to tell current or future committed partners, e.g. when a long term relationship seems on the horizon, about past STDs. In the event such a partner later develops an HPV problem -- say warts or an abnormal pap smear -- it's generally better to have had "the talk" well ahead of time, and not in response to a new diagnosis and possible emotional crisis."
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Confused-about-hpv-interpretation/show/763984
Have your views slightly changed on the subject as time has passed about advice in regards to telling future partners? Im not trying to be a stickler, just wanting to understand thoroughly and making sure i am critically thinking everything through. Thank you for your time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
