Non-STD genital warts?

[InKorea]

I am an early 20's female living in South Korea. I was just diagnosed with genital warts by a doctor with limited English in South Korea. After getting someone to translate for me, the doctor tells me that she is 95% sure that my anal warts did not come from an STD because I only had 2 bumps (one was about 1cm long and thin and one was a bump) as opposed to a cluster.

I have been researching this online and it seems like all genital warts are caused by STD's - not something like a dirty toilet as the doctor suggested.

This whole thing has got me pretty scared I can't seem to find the answers I am looking for.

Here are my questions...

1) Are there non-std genital warts?

2) She removed them by electrocautery. What are the odds it will come back?

3) When is it ok to become sexually active with my partner again? How can we protect ourselves when we do? Will we just be giving the virus back and forth?

4) Is there a test we can get to show if we have HPV?

5) What else should I know?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Either your doctor does not understand genital warts and HPV, or you misunderstood her.  Every infection with genital warts or HPV is sexually acquired.  But there is no reason to be scared.  Everybody gets genital HPV at one time or another (although not everybody gets warts).  It is an inconvenience, not a significant health threat, especially in men with genital infection.  You should do some basic reading about the problem.  Take a look at the warts/HPV information available at www.metrokc.gov/health/apu/std; www.cdc.gov/std; www.ashastd.org; or www.westoverheights.com.

To your specific questions:

1) No, there is no such thing as non-sexually acquired genital warts.  (Well, maybe VERY rarely.)

2) Warts often come back, regardless of the treatment used.  But cautery is one of the most reliable methods.  Even if they recur once, repeat treatment usually takes care of it, and all HPV infections eventually clear up on their own.

3) There are no hard rules about sex after diagnosis and treatment of genital warts.  After a few months, it's definitely safe.  But this only applies to a new partner.  You can be sure your partner already has been infected with the same HPV infection as you (you might have given it to her or vice versa), and she cannot become reinfected by the same strain.  (People become immune, or at least highly resistant, to new infection with the same HPV type they already had once.)  So just wait until your cautery site is healed then go ahead with sex.  Condom's aren't necessary.

4) No, there is no test to to tell whether your HPV has gone away. But after a few months with no recurrence of your warts, you can be pretty sure it has cleared up.

5) Read the information on the websites I suggested above.  In the meantime, don't freak out.  This really isn't a big deal and is never going to seriously harm your health or your partner's health.  However, she needs to be examined, including a pap smear.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[InKorea]

Also, what are the odds it could be a skin tag? The more I see online about it, the more it seems to make sense.

[one_hard_life]

I had genital warts that did come from sex. I only had one out break two and a half years ago. I didn't get any treatment for it though because I was pregnant. Nor did I have any treatments after I had my child because I didn't have any signs of it anymore. Well its been two and a half years and that first out break has been my only out break. My ex-husband nor any of my recent partners have had any signs of it either. As far as keeping reoccurances happening, use protection if it will make you feel better. But you should know that if you are having any signs of bumps, they can be transferred to your partner even if you do use a condom, because the area they are normally spotted are not covered by the condom. Thats all the advice I can really say on this subject. Hey, if worse comes to worse and you just have to have pleasure before you explode......there is always saran wrap. (that last part is not a proven method of protection, but i have heard of it working for a few people I have spoken with.)

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Much of the information provided by one_hard_life is inaccurate.  Both of you should read the information on the websites I suggested above.

HHH, MD

[InKorea]

Thanks, I appreciate the advice - though as I said, I am a female.

I went back to the doctor today and she tells me the bumps were atypical and definitely not genital warts... *shrug*

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Sorry I misinterpreted your sex.  Anyway, it sounds like a false alarm with respect to warts.  Best wishes.

[71buick]

I have a small growth at the base of my penis. I have been married for 7 years, both of us faithful, and this growth has formed in the last 2-3 years. I have a lot of skin tags, though this one is firm. Could it be sebohric keratoses? it looks like the picstures I have seen on the internet. I only have one, at it formed over 5 years after I was married. your thoughts?