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HPV Infectivity and Recurring Warts
In late 2011 I found I had a small clump of genital warts. I got them frozen off a month or so later and I have since undergone a dozen treatments and I've done several cycles of Aldara. I am still getting new warts and I am extremely frustrated and depressed about this. I know that the body can eventually "clear" the infection (even though the virus remains present), but I can't seem to arrive to this point, as a new wart will appear and the clock resets. Is there anything I can do, other than stay healthy to boost my immune system, that might help me in this process?
Also, I advise any new partners of my infection because I feel it is the ethically right thing to do. I assume I have HPV type 6 or 11 considering these strains are responsible for the vast majority of cases that show warts. My question is, when small (almost invisible) or no warts are present, what is the likelihood that a healthy person like a new partner will develop warts once exposed to the strain(s) I have? Is it a sure thing? Rare? 50/50?
Thanks in advance.
Also, I advise any new partners of my infection because I feel it is the ethically right thing to do. I assume I have HPV type 6 or 11 considering these strains are responsible for the vast majority of cases that show warts. My question is, when small (almost invisible) or no warts are present, what is the likelihood that a healthy person like a new partner will develop warts once exposed to the strain(s) I have? Is it a sure thing? Rare? 50/50?
Thanks in advance.
Condoms lower the risk to about 70-80%, and having protected sex whilst warts are not present lowers the risk even more. It's never 100% and it sounds like you have to be extra careful due to your outbreaks being so frequent. Generally people who have conditions which weaken the immune system have trouble with genital warts, however there are an unlucky few who experience them badly when they are infact perfectly healthy. You seem to be doing the right thing so far, just keep at it and strengthen your immune system as much as possible.
Stop smoking and drinking, exercise, get lots of rest, take mega-loads of vitamins, take herbal suppliments (Elderberry tablets, Echinesea, Garlic, St. John's Wart, etc), eat healthy and reduce stress somehow.
One of your warts should be biopsied so you can confirm your strain. Do not assume it is just the low risk strain until you know for sure.
Your last question is impossible to answer. If you go with the assumption that condoms are 70% effective, then its 30%. But it also depends on how safe one plays. For example: use of dental dams by your partner for oral sex on you, wrapping a dental dam around the base of your penis, wearing a shirt and boxers or pants, wearing socks, identifying up front which hand you use to touch yourself vs the hand that you use to foreplay your partner, keep kissing to the minimal, not performing oral sex on your partner, etc. As I understand it, this is a skin disease and whatever can be done to reduce skin to skin contact reduces the odds of transmission to your partner. Obviously, very few people will do as I wrote here and so it is no wonder that 6 million new cases are reported each year.
And here's the final rub: Go to a STD dating site like I did recently. Despite the millions who have it, the % of people on that site with just HPV is like 5% with the rest having Herpes or HIV. Why? Because some people don't know they have it, people claim to have it cured when the warts disappear for 6 months or more and are dating non-infected people which is what you are trying to do. Really, the ideal situation is for people with a particular strain to date someone with the same strain. That would make life simpler, yes?
One of your warts should be biopsied so you can confirm your strain. Do not assume it is just the low risk strain until you know for sure.
Your last question is impossible to answer. If you go with the assumption that condoms are 70% effective, then its 30%. But it also depends on how safe one plays. For example: use of dental dams by your partner for oral sex on you, wrapping a dental dam around the base of your penis, wearing a shirt and boxers or pants, wearing socks, identifying up front which hand you use to touch yourself vs the hand that you use to foreplay your partner, keep kissing to the minimal, not performing oral sex on your partner, etc. As I understand it, this is a skin disease and whatever can be done to reduce skin to skin contact reduces the odds of transmission to your partner. Obviously, very few people will do as I wrote here and so it is no wonder that 6 million new cases are reported each year.
And here's the final rub: Go to a STD dating site like I did recently. Despite the millions who have it, the % of people on that site with just HPV is like 5% with the rest having Herpes or HIV. Why? Because some people don't know they have it, people claim to have it cured when the warts disappear for 6 months or more and are dating non-infected people which is what you are trying to do. Really, the ideal situation is for people with a particular strain to date someone with the same strain. That would make life simpler, yes?
correction, late 2010
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.
