HPV Disclosure

[adam9519]

Hello,

I was diagnosed with genital warts and have a few questions. Disclosing HPV to future partners seems to be quite a sensitive topic and I have read many different opinions. Is it necessary to disclose HPV to future partners given the prevalence of the virus and the uncertainty as to how long the virus remains active?

Also, would the person I contracted HPV from have had visible warts at the time or is it possible that he was simply unknowingly carrying the virus? Does everyone who comes in contact with genital warts develop warts themselves if they catch HPV?

Thanks so much,

Adam

[adam9519]

thanks so much. appreciate the info.

[SkaterDave]

In my opinion, it depends on what point on your journey with the virus you find yourself with a new partner.  In your post, you do not say when you were exposed or suspect you were exposed nor the date of your first wart or how many outbreaks you've had over what duration of time and also how long it has been since your last outbreak/treatment.  I'm assuming by HPV virus you are talking about low-risk, the wart causing strains.  

In my opinion, if it's been six months or more after your last treatment and no warts have returned, then you do not need to disclose your past with HPV.  Once your body has the virus under control, what imperative is there to share?  You don't tell people you once had the chicken pox.  Between three and six months I'd share, but be really up on the diction and tone you use in the sharing.  If you act like you've got HIV and it's the end of the world for your/their genitalia and future sex life and chance for intimacy, chances are you'll have a bad reception.  If you portray it is it is, a temporary infection that may be transmittable without using protection that has no lasting health detriment and is an aesthetic nuisance at worst, you may receive a better reception.  If you are less than three months after your last treatment, I'd definitely tell your partners because there is a pretty good chance of infecting them.  

One does not need ot have warts present to infect.  Supposedly many people have low-risk HPV and no warts but I'm not too sure I believe that the number is as high as they say it is.  I has warts and slept with my ex repeatedly without protection, even before and after an outbreak and she never got warts nor passed them on to her subsequent partners.  So there's that.