so confused? HPV? genital warts?

[lucyjane7]

i just found what i believe to be genital warts within the last week. ive scheduled an appt with my ob/gyn. i assume the warts will be removed and i'll be put on some sort of medication in case of reoccurance. since there is no HPV test for men, i wont know if my boyfriend has contracted HPV from me until they actually show up. (ive read it can take months to years to show up.) if i'm on medication as treatment and my boyfriend develops genital warts months from now, will i just develop them again? is this just going to be a vicious cycle? and another thing, are all genital warts caused by HPV?

[Emma_08]

Yes, I believe all genital warts are caused by HPV (strains 6, 11, 42, 43, 44, 55).  If your boyfriend is infected with HPV and you have sex with him after your warts are gone, most likely you will not be reinfected with the same strain because your body has produced antibodies against the virus.  Usually, HPV, especially the low risk strains which cause genital warts "clears" within 6 months to a year.  If you are indeed diagnosed with HPV/genital warts, it might be a good idea to use protection until your warts are treated.
Good luck,
Em

[lucyjane7]

do you think since i just noticed them, my boyfriend probably has already contracted it from me? could he just contract the HPV from me and not develop the warts? what would be treatment for him?

thank you so much Em, i really appreciate it!

-lucy

[Emma_08]

First, I would get a a diagnosis from a doctor that you do indeed have genital warts.  If you do, it is possible that your boyfriend has been infected, or that he infected you (you will probably never know, it's a waste of energy to try to figure this out).  HPV is such a common virus, one of you could have had it before you started having sex and not even known.  In fact, most people with HPV are asymptomatic and will not notice any physical changes.  If he does develop warts, he will probably be treated with Aldara.  Aldara will not treat the virus, just the symptoms.  Hope this helps!
Best,
Em