Thanks doc, you are my hero
Correct -- highly unlikely.
So overall, in a couple of years, it is highly unlikely that my new partner would develop genital warts if I had been clear for a couple of years..? I just don't want to have to tell them if it will cause unnessesary worry and anxiety, there is such a stigma around stds
Your HPV vaccine story is painfully typical! When Gardasil first became available there was rapid uptake by many young women but then the rates leveled off. One of the main problems, it turns out, is exactly the one you describe: people tend to delay until they have lost their home-based insurance and then either are not insured or have limited policies (a common issue among students) that don't cover immunization against HPV. My advice, though, is to suck it up and find a way to pay. Even at around $500 (for vaccine itself plus office/administration costs), it will be worth the peace of mind. And if you are not yet 20, you might call your local health department; HPV immunization might be available at little or no cost under the federal "Vaccine for Children" program, which covers qualitied patients through age 19.
I'm glad to have helped with a more accurate perspective on HPV infections, transmission, etc. The practitioner in the first office probably has come to understand that HPV infections are permanent. At a biological level, that might be true, i.e. HPV DNA persists in tissues and there is a potential for future flare-up. However, that's rare; and most infections indeed are permanently controlled by the immune system, do not cause any future health problems, and are not transmissible to partners; they are cured for all practical purposes. As for informing future partners, some would argue it should be done routinely, but others disagree; there is no right or wrong to it. Personally, if I were young and dating, I probably would say nothing to casual partners or in new relationships with uncertain future promise; but once a relationship became mutually committed or had that promise, I would tell my partner about HPV and perhaps other past STD events.
Anyway, most likely the pratitioner was well intentioned, and might appreciate being educated -- diplomatically, of course. You could even consider printing out this thread as a starting point, or sending her the link to it.
Thanks for the thanks. Glad to have helped.
Thanks so much doctor,
I think the clinic I went to was fairly knowledgeable, I went to my family doctor before that, immediately after finding out my boyfriend had a wart, and the nurse practitioner made me feel like my life was over, she told me that i would always have the virus, always transmit it to other people, and that I would definitely get warts for the rest of my life every time I was sick or run down.. she compared it to herpes and said it was just like that, when I asked her about ''clearance'' she said that only high-risk types could clear but not low-risk genital warts types. She said : you MUST tell all future partners or else you could give them genital warts. I was devastated.. I don't know where she got her information. I am definitely going to look into gardasil however I am no longer covered by my parents and I am a student.. I should have got the shot when I was covered, I will just have to save up some money. I am going to move on with life and hope that in a few years the virus has cleared,
Thanks so much again! you have no idea how much this forum has helped me, I will recommend it to anyone I know struggling with these issues :)
And by the way, you should speak with either your current doctor or an STD specialist about getting immunized with Gardasil, the HPV vaccine that prevents infection with the 4 HPV types that cause 70% of cervical cancer and 90% of genital warts. Although it won't do anything for the HPV strain you presumably have been exposed to, it will protect against most future infections that might cause troublesome health problems. All sexually active women, especially those under 26 years old, should have the vaccine.
Welcome back. See my reply in your original thread about HSV testing. The same basic advice -- seeing a doctor or clinic with excellent STD expertise, whether a GUM or private clinic like Freedom Health, is the best way to sort out your concerns about HPV and whether your genital bumps are warts.
That said, I am inclined to believe the bumps are not warts, especially if your current doctor is reasonably experienced with this problem, and especially after a careful examination under magnification. My other general comment is that although nobody wants genital warts or other genital HPV infections, you should view these problems as inconveniences, not serious health risks. In the long run, the vast majority of genital area HPV infections -- whether "high risk" or "low risk" -- clear up on their own, cause no important health problems, and should have no major impact on forming new sexual partnerships. To your specific questions:
1) From a timing standpoint, warts can show up any time from 2-3 months to as long as 2 years after exposure -- so 10 months certainly is possible. However, as discussed above, I doubt you have warts at this time.
2) There is no way to know whether you shared you partner's HPV infection. Probably yes, but if so, the infection could have cleared up or persisted. Unfortunately, there is no way to know with certainty.
3,4) The large majority of genital HPV infections clear up, and cannot be transmitted to partners, within 1-2 years. Probably you are not likely to transmit your HPV to future partners, but there is no way to guarantee it. Disclosure of past STDs to new partners is highly personal and the right course varies from one couple or relationship to the next. I cannot give you definitive advice on it.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD