No Genital Warts for years, are they gone?

[auntiechik]

I have not had any symptoms of Genital Warts in almost 3 years. I didn't have them treated and they just started disappearing. Are they gone? Can they come back?

[Anonymouswonderer]

Back in early 2001 I had gentital warts underneath the head of my penis. I don't remember how long I actually had them, but I know it was no more than a year. Either way that summer I shipped out to boot camp. Midway through boot camp they disappeared. Now I don't know if was from all the shots and vaccines or from the goldbond that I used to prevent chafing. I suspect the goldbond powder because I would always feel a burning sensation when I poured it down there. Anyway, it's 2016 and have been gone since 2001.. Are they gone for good? I sure hope so

[soscared872]

Not sure if they can come back, but some women get abnormal cells every few years in their cervix, and then no longer after that until infected with a different HPV strain. I read that herpes attacks are similar. The breakouts get less severe over time as the body learns to fight back against that infection.

For me, I decided to stop having sex until I meet the wonderful woman who is wiling to take a chance with me (five lifetime unprotected traditional sex, thirteen lifetime oral - both giver and receiver) and we use condoms and dental dams only. I had no sex the last two years. I can live without it. HPV is too scary and I may be a carrier of high risk HPV, and don't want to infect women. I have no bad intentions.

[auntiechik]

Let me rephrase my question, I was kinda in a hurry yesterday. I had them for 8 months, I didn't have them treated. I noticed they started disappearing. Since then it's been almost 3 years, I have had no warts, no symptoms and in that period of time I had a baby. During my pregnancy nothing either. I was just wondering if my body has fought off the virus and can the warts come back? I mean it's been 3 years and nothing, I hope they don't that was the most irritating thing I ever went through. I was devastated on top of that and when I saw them disappearing and they were gone, you talking about a happy girl.

[soscared872]

Also remember, doctors consider you "cured" once your body clears Your HPV strains. The virus is in your DNA, but at such a low level it is undetectable.

[SkaterDave]

If they are disappearing then you are not out of the wood yet but you are getting there.  Your body is or has fought off the virus and is in the process of ridding your body of the warts and the viruses that you can't see that live in your skin cells yet don't manifest into warts.  If you have warts treated this usually takes up to two years with a tiny percentage lasting up to three years.  If you don't have them treated as in your case, then it would take longer probably and you are right on schedule as science states.  Feel free to go to a dermatologist if you want.