Husband Bowenoid Papulosis

Hi Dr.
My husband and I both got HPV from different people in our 20s (we are in our early 40's now). My occurence was a one time thing and was treated and it seemed to have resolved itself. He has been treated quite a few times and just recently had some wierd what he thought was freckle like spots above his hairline above the penis shaft biopsied and removed by freezing. The Dr. said the biopsy result was bowenoid p. and the nurse said not to worry about it its not cancer???? The internet seems to put it differently, specifically that it is cancer in situ. I am very confused and scared and literally "afraid" of being near him.
1) Is his life in danger??? Did he carry this and it turned into this or did he cheat??? He is a trustworthy faithful man I believe!
2) This is caused by HPV 16 so is MY life in danger? All my paps have always been normal!
3) No more oral sex for us>>This can be transmitted to the throat causing throat cancer??? This worries me to death!4) Can I catch the BP or just the HPV??? We are both EX smokers if that makes any difference in your answer.
Thank you I am worried sick and havent slept at all.

[Stephen Liroff, MD]

Bowenoid papulosis is a skin change that has many of the features of squamous cell carinoma in situ but is usually a benign condition. It is associated with HPV as are condyloma accuminata (the common venereal wart). To get to your specific questions:
1)His life is not in danger. As one can have HPV for many years but not have obvious manifestations of it, their is no reason to believe that Bowenoid P. is any different. I would not  suspect that he is having a relationship outside of yours on this basis
2)Your life is no more in danger than it was before. Your risk of cervical cancer are probably increased on the basis of your HPV exposure. This does NOT mean that you will get this Ca, only that your risk is greater than someone not exposed to the HPV.  Keep getting your PAP's on schedule
3) You faced the same risk of transmitting HPV with oral sex now as you did before the Bownoid lesion. You are not at risk for transmitting the cancer, just the virus.
To sum it all up, your husband and you have had condyloma because of HPV. He had been found to have a skin lesion that can become a skin cancer, but is not likely to do so. It bears watching. The skin lesion and the condyloma are both associated with the same virus. You are both at risk for passing the virus back and forth between you, but not the cancer, per se. Nothing is really different now than before as regards the virus.
Sleep better!
S.A.Liroff, M.D.

This information is provided for general medical educational purposes only. It
does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Henry Ford  Hospital  or the
Vattikuti Urologic Institute.  Please consult your physician for diagnostic
and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical  condition.

[TR991]

THANK YOU!