Aa
Clearance
I was told by my obgyn that genital warts can be cleared. Who agrees? Also, I had them biopsied and inquired about which strain I had. They said they could just tell me it was low risk. Why can't they investigate the strain type?
I think the virus can eliminate by the immune system but not in all people because bodies of people is different from each other and science is not perfect about this subject.i think both of you ami and paradox are right
I think the virus can eliminate by the immune system but not in all people because bodies of people is different from each other and science is not perfect about this subject.i think both of you ami and paradox are right
Amie I think you are misunderstanding what actually remains in your body forever when you get a virus. It is true that some viruses such as herpes and HIV and in some cases hepatitis can never be completely eliminated by the immune system but many viruses can as mentioned before. What remains in your system is the antibodies to the virus which is the reason why you cannot be infected again. Viruses themselves are just contagions that infect a host and insert their genetic code into the hosts cells. But as the immune system eliminates the free floating radicals and the infected cells are eliminated the virus is in fact gone. HPV may be another one that hides from the body as you have said but most experts believe it is completely eliminated. Unfortunately science has not found away to find out with 100% certainty.
Thank yall for your answers! All very interesting. I have done all possible research available to me on HPV and I will say I agree with both of you in different areas! Great discussion. Hopefully one day this virus will no longer be a discussion but have concrete answers for us to turn to!
Well, it has happened before. Doctors are always careful not to guarantee clearance for good because there have been recorded cases of GW coming back ten, twenty years later. This isn't common at all, with 90% never experiencing symptoms again after 2 years of no symptoms. 10% take a little longer to clear the virus and then a smaller percentage experience warts further down the line, out of the blue. Just bare in mind that it's rare for this to happen, but it can happen. It all boils down to what you believe and how much you trust your husband, if you have no reason to believe he has just contracted the warts from a relationship outside of the marriage, all you can do is believe him. Did he ever mention having genital warts previously to you? If he didn't, that wouldn't be unusual as its advisable for people not to explain this information once they have passed the 2 year mark of no symptoms, because of how unlikely it is to pass the virus on after that time. If he did mention, then it is plausible for him to be telling the truth. 23 years is definately a long time to go but its not impossible.
Thank you for posting your comments. I sincerely hope you can help me, as I'd like to know what the longest recorded recurrence has occurred after HPV is 'cleared'. My reason for asking is that during a 23 year monogamous relationship, my husband is saying his genital wart 'reappeared'...that he has not been unfaithful, it just 'came back' from when he contracted it previous to our relationship. I'm looking to see if this is possible.
Agreed to disagree. It's been a pleasure :)
I don't take your comments as insulting, but I am 100% certain of what I am talking about. I have been on this site answering questions for a few years now and the whole 'does the virus stay in the body' argument is just a technicality and there are different ways to look at it. Doctors always say if after 6 months - 2 years of having no symptoms you can ASSUME/CONSIDER yourself clear. The reason they say that is because it is TECHNICALLY always in your body (as far as they are aware, as of right now). Also, the reason they use the words 'clear' and not 'cured' is because there is no cure, it is something that will always be in your body but after a little while acts as if it has left. If they were to tell people after 6 months - 2 years of having no symptoms that they are cured, they would face a lot of difficulty dealing with people who years after there last symptom experienced another, therefore they cannot go around saying that. That is also why if you and your partner have both got the same virus, after you are cleared you can still have unprotected sex with them without worrying about getting the virus again - because you build immunity to it, as it is always in your body.
I am not going to troll the internet trying to find articles to back myself up because I am sure of what I am saying. I don't feel the need to persuade you into my way of thinking, because it is understandable to not get to grips with this aspect of the virus as it is confusing, and was something I couldn't get my head around either. When I went to the Dr and they explained it would always be in a persons body, but it can be cleared, it sounded very contradictory and therefore its understandable why people don't grasp that fact.
Also, because the virus is something which provokes hysteria in many people, which is unnecesary considering (with the low risk HPV) it is afterall just a wart, the worst thing to do is bang on about how it never leaves your body. It is just a small fact which isn't half as bad as it sounds considering in the majority of people you build immunity and never suffer with it again.
I appreciate your comments but would ask if this could be the end of this thread. Lets just agree to disagree.
I am not going to troll the internet trying to find articles to back myself up because I am sure of what I am saying. I don't feel the need to persuade you into my way of thinking, because it is understandable to not get to grips with this aspect of the virus as it is confusing, and was something I couldn't get my head around either. When I went to the Dr and they explained it would always be in a persons body, but it can be cleared, it sounded very contradictory and therefore its understandable why people don't grasp that fact.
Also, because the virus is something which provokes hysteria in many people, which is unnecesary considering (with the low risk HPV) it is afterall just a wart, the worst thing to do is bang on about how it never leaves your body. It is just a small fact which isn't half as bad as it sounds considering in the majority of people you build immunity and never suffer with it again.
I appreciate your comments but would ask if this could be the end of this thread. Lets just agree to disagree.
I hope I'm not coming across as insulting. That certainly isn't my intent. To be clear, if you can provide me with sources to back your argument I'd like to see them.
With the amount of us that contract HPV (80% by 50, apparently), this is a very interesting topic!
With the amount of us that contract HPV (80% by 50, apparently), this is a very interesting topic!
You've never heard of a virus that the body destroys?
I can name several:
1.) Influenza
2.) Rhinovirus
3.) Ebola - Ebola, by the way, is one of the most virulent and lethal viruses known to man. However, if you survive it your body destroys all of it, with rare exceptions. (But even HPV has exceptions - thus the 10%)
4.) Rotavirus
5.) Hepatitis (unless the patient is unable to clear the virus and it becomes chronic).
Aimee, that text quite literally says, word for word, that it eliminates the warts and the virus. That information is from one of the largest research companies on the planet - and if HPV was forever, it would be in their best interest to say it! It would sell more vaccine!
Instead, they are saying that 90% of the time the body COMPLETELY clears the virus, even without treatment.
You are misreading it - but I do not know how.
You are confusing these viruses with those like Herpes and HIV/AIDS. Herpes is unique - it has developed a method of "hiding" from the immune system and surviving by turning off the trigger that makes the cells it has infected die (source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060612184600.htm).
HIV literally attacks the immune system before it knows what's hit it.
Just a postulation - If every virus we had ever caught was in our bodies forever just WAITING for the immune system to weaken, wouldn't many of us die from multiple diseases at once?
I can name several:
1.) Influenza
2.) Rhinovirus
3.) Ebola - Ebola, by the way, is one of the most virulent and lethal viruses known to man. However, if you survive it your body destroys all of it, with rare exceptions. (But even HPV has exceptions - thus the 10%)
4.) Rotavirus
5.) Hepatitis (unless the patient is unable to clear the virus and it becomes chronic).
Aimee, that text quite literally says, word for word, that it eliminates the warts and the virus. That information is from one of the largest research companies on the planet - and if HPV was forever, it would be in their best interest to say it! It would sell more vaccine!
Instead, they are saying that 90% of the time the body COMPLETELY clears the virus, even without treatment.
You are misreading it - but I do not know how.
You are confusing these viruses with those like Herpes and HIV/AIDS. Herpes is unique - it has developed a method of "hiding" from the immune system and surviving by turning off the trigger that makes the cells it has infected die (source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060612184600.htm).
HIV literally attacks the immune system before it knows what's hit it.
Just a postulation - If every virus we had ever caught was in our bodies forever just WAITING for the immune system to weaken, wouldn't many of us die from multiple diseases at once?
Yeah I never heard of a virus that leaves a host (body). Anyone who had the chicken pox as a child still has that virus in their body. Which is why some people get shingles.
"it often eventually controls HPV and eliminates the warts and the virus"... Yes, it controls the virus and keeps it dormant meaning it is laying undetectable in a persons system. It is a virus not an infection, and cannot be cured. Most never experience symptoms after 2 years of no symptoms however in rare cases the virus can pop up many years later... why? Because it is always in your system and can therefore pop up randomly.
Hi Amie,
Your posts seem to be well-intentioned and thought out, but I wanted to point out that when you say the virus is in your system forever you are (fortunately) incorrect.
Much of the information on this virus is ambiguous, so I understand the confusion - however, the clearest documentation I've seen is from the Merck website.
Merck has developed a successful HPV vaccine called Gardasil. I say this to preface the quote from their site with this fact - it is reasonable to say that of any company, they have done the most research on this virus and in fact would have the most to gain ($$$) if the virus was forever.
However, they say:
"If the immune system is healthy, it often eventually controls HPV and eliminates the warts and the virus, even without treatment. HPV infection is gone after 8 months in half of people and lasts longer than 2 years in fewer than 10%."
Note here that "often" means the typical 90% over two years - and that the immune system "eliminates the warts and the virus."
The professional medical staff on this site would agree - with Dr. Hook being quite adamant that people who say the virus can never be cleared are completely wrong.
Find the merckmanual article here:
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/infections/sexually_transmitted_diseases/genital_warts.html#v790131
Your posts seem to be well-intentioned and thought out, but I wanted to point out that when you say the virus is in your system forever you are (fortunately) incorrect.
Much of the information on this virus is ambiguous, so I understand the confusion - however, the clearest documentation I've seen is from the Merck website.
Merck has developed a successful HPV vaccine called Gardasil. I say this to preface the quote from their site with this fact - it is reasonable to say that of any company, they have done the most research on this virus and in fact would have the most to gain ($$$) if the virus was forever.
However, they say:
"If the immune system is healthy, it often eventually controls HPV and eliminates the warts and the virus, even without treatment. HPV infection is gone after 8 months in half of people and lasts longer than 2 years in fewer than 10%."
Note here that "often" means the typical 90% over two years - and that the immune system "eliminates the warts and the virus."
The professional medical staff on this site would agree - with Dr. Hook being quite adamant that people who say the virus can never be cleared are completely wrong.
Find the merckmanual article here:
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/infections/sexually_transmitted_diseases/genital_warts.html#v790131
Yes they are usually cleared within 6 months - 2 years of displaying no symptoms. This means the virus lays dormant but is always in your system. After 2 years 90% never experience warts again and a small few do, as the virus can linger for longer or show up years later.
The important thing you need to understand is whether its high or low risk. Investigating which particular strain of low risk is not usually necesary as all of the low risk strains basically do the same thing and any further investigation is not needed unless you had unusual symptoms or something like that
The important thing you need to understand is whether its high or low risk. Investigating which particular strain of low risk is not usually necesary as all of the low risk strains basically do the same thing and any further investigation is not needed unless you had unusual symptoms or something like that
You are reading content posted in the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Community
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.
