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Possible HPV?
Hello. I have recently seen a wart/mole like growth that has occured at the top of my penis inbetween the pubic hair. It was not there before, it does not itch and i noticed it kind of by accident. This was a couple of weeks ago however since then i think 2 more smaller warts have appeared right next to it. The 2 smaller ones are tiny but the bigger one is about 3mm in diameter and is slightly browner than my caucasian skin colour. it looks like its got little dots over it, although it is round and mole-like in appearance, it could be the 'coliflower' appearance that I have read about?
Will it continue to grow? will the smaller ones continue to grow or spread? i don't know what to do, its all happened over the past 3 weeks, i thought it would go away but its still there! is there a chance it might not be HPV? i have seen pictures on the net and it looks very similar to the one below the 'M' in the picture below (its slightly brown coloured compared to these brown ones inthe pic):
http://cancer.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=cancer&cdn=health&tm=5&gps=538_158_1225_590&f=00&su=p284.9.336.ip_p736.9.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.dermnet.com/Genital-Warts/picture/7964
does anyone have any comments or advise?
Will it continue to grow? will the smaller ones continue to grow or spread? i don't know what to do, its all happened over the past 3 weeks, i thought it would go away but its still there! is there a chance it might not be HPV? i have seen pictures on the net and it looks very similar to the one below the 'M' in the picture below (its slightly brown coloured compared to these brown ones inthe pic):
http://cancer.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=cancer&cdn=health&tm=5&gps=538_158_1225_590&f=00&su=p284.9.336.ip_p736.9.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.dermnet.com/Genital-Warts/picture/7964
does anyone have any comments or advise?
If they are confirmed genital warts then they are contracted through sexual contact. It is different from person to person but most people get rid of them between 6 months - 2 years, a small percentage take longer. They are not curable, however the immune system can build immunity to the virus so the virus would lay dormant in the persons system after some time. To speed up recovery, medication in the form of creams or procedures are provided to get rid of the visible symptoms, then it is advised to get healthy so that the immune system can kick in. It'll depend on the Dr and the warts in terms of which medication to go for.
My boyfriend has the 'colliflower' shaped tiny warts on his penis and they have just appeared randomly and have booked a doctors appointment I was wondering if you know how exactly he got them ?? And how long it takes to get rid of them? And how do you get rid of them? thanks
You are still contagious yes, though with the warts gone you are less contagious as the warts bring the virus to the surface of the skin. It is still possible to infect someone else, but not as much if you had visable warts showing. If you were to wear a condom, the risk is even smaller of passing it on - but keep in mind its still possible. Only you and your girlfriend can decide what to do, make sure you tell her so she has the choice.
The last thing you should do is worry, because stress will aggivate hpv and then you will have an outbreak. It is probable that you will have a reocurance but it may not be for a very long time, lower your chance by saying heathy and relaxed. If they do come back it is entirely up to you what you do. If the method of treatment you used before benefited you and you are pleased with it, by all means use that method again. I'm sure if your reocurance isnt for a while then that would mean your body reacted very well to the treatment and it would be best to use that treatment again. If you end up having a reocurance soon you may decide your body would react better to a different treatment.
The last thing you should do is worry, because stress will aggivate hpv and then you will have an outbreak. It is probable that you will have a reocurance but it may not be for a very long time, lower your chance by saying heathy and relaxed. If they do come back it is entirely up to you what you do. If the method of treatment you used before benefited you and you are pleased with it, by all means use that method again. I'm sure if your reocurance isnt for a while then that would mean your body reacted very well to the treatment and it would be best to use that treatment again. If you end up having a reocurance soon you may decide your body would react better to a different treatment.
It's been just over a week (a week last thursday) since I had two small warts frozen by the doctor. Since then I had 3 days rest then applied Warticon cream for 4 days. During that period the warts kind of blistered/scabbed and now just over a week later have kind of fallen off and it's almost like they were never there in the first place.
It's great that in just over a week with these treatments that the warts are gone! However I have a couple of questions if you don't mind.
Firstly now that they are gone, am I still very infective? Is it very contagious even though the warts seem to be gone? Again, the last thing I want to do is have sex with my girlfriend and infect her, but having said that, I can't see myself holding off for 3-6 months when I don't have any visual symptoms.
Also, now that the warts have gone so quickly, should I be worried about them coming back? If they do come back, should I use the Warticon cream i have got again, or see the doctor to get them frozen right at the start?
Thanks for you help.
It's great that in just over a week with these treatments that the warts are gone! However I have a couple of questions if you don't mind.
Firstly now that they are gone, am I still very infective? Is it very contagious even though the warts seem to be gone? Again, the last thing I want to do is have sex with my girlfriend and infect her, but having said that, I can't see myself holding off for 3-6 months when I don't have any visual symptoms.
Also, now that the warts have gone so quickly, should I be worried about them coming back? If they do come back, should I use the Warticon cream i have got again, or see the doctor to get them frozen right at the start?
Thanks for you help.
Oh its okay. It helps me too. Let the forum know how you get on : )
It really helps to talk about it and learn more about HPV. I really appreciate your help, thankyou very much.
Also remember, after 3-6 months doctors say you are likely to be 'clear' athough this is always an assumption. There is still a chance the virus is active in your body, so still be careful
Well done for going to a clinic, too many people ignore the problem these days and carelessly pass the virus on. Now wonder its so common. It is also a sensible idea to stay away from sex until the warts are gone. Explain to your girlfriend, if your seriouse I'm sure she will just accept the fact she is likely to get HPV too.
Freezing is used to get rid of the warts on the surface, the cream is used to prevent the infected cells from multiplying. So the freezing takes the warts away, and the cream is useful in replacing the cells to healthy ones.
It should only realy take a couple of weeks. It depends how your body response to the treatment, but it definately won't take too long as long as you follow the instructions of the cream carefully.
It is difficult to tell if you will have a reoccurance. It al depends on how your body reacts to treatment, and how long your body takes to built up immunity. In the majority, there are no more reoccurances after 2 years. You may have one or two further outbreaks, but the inital outbreak is thoughts to be the worst one. Just keep yourself healthy, don't smoke and take vitamins.
They will be in the genital area, not necesarily in the same exact spot. There are alot of people who develop anal warts without having anal sex, I once read that genital warts can spread to the anal area in severe cases. (Although as your warts are small and not severe, this probably wont happen) also, there is little evidence on this. It won't spread to other areas of your body. Say your girlfriend had genital warts too and you gave her oral sex, they could then appear in your mouth - though this is very unlikely to happen as warts don't 'like' to develop in the mouth.
Freezing is used to get rid of the warts on the surface, the cream is used to prevent the infected cells from multiplying. So the freezing takes the warts away, and the cream is useful in replacing the cells to healthy ones.
It should only realy take a couple of weeks. It depends how your body response to the treatment, but it definately won't take too long as long as you follow the instructions of the cream carefully.
It is difficult to tell if you will have a reoccurance. It al depends on how your body reacts to treatment, and how long your body takes to built up immunity. In the majority, there are no more reoccurances after 2 years. You may have one or two further outbreaks, but the inital outbreak is thoughts to be the worst one. Just keep yourself healthy, don't smoke and take vitamins.
They will be in the genital area, not necesarily in the same exact spot. There are alot of people who develop anal warts without having anal sex, I once read that genital warts can spread to the anal area in severe cases. (Although as your warts are small and not severe, this probably wont happen) also, there is little evidence on this. It won't spread to other areas of your body. Say your girlfriend had genital warts too and you gave her oral sex, they could then appear in your mouth - though this is very unlikely to happen as warts don't 'like' to develop in the mouth.
Hi Amie, sorry to bother you, I just wanted to let you know what has happened and to ask a couple more questions if you don't mind.
After seeing these warts at the top of my penis (where the shaft meets the body), I was obsessing, as you know. So I went to the GUM unit and had them checked out. The doctor said that she thought they were almost certainly genital warts (can't see what else they can be) and she froze them when I was there. Since they have turned a dark colour and I have been told that after 3-4 days to use Warticon cream in 3 days on, 4 days rest cycles.
As the GW's are in a place where a condom won't cover, I will not have sex with my girlfriend until they are healed. However, if it's 3-6 months without another outbreak so I don't pass it on, I don't see how I could wait this long. I think I will talk to my gf, tell her what has happened and hopefully I won't give it to her (if she doesn't have it already) once the warts are cleared up.
My questions are, why have I been treated with the freezing of the warts and prescribed the cream? On most websites its one or the other, does this mean that the freezing isn't very effective on its own? How long does it normally take for smallish warts to heal after freezing and using this cream (podophyllotoxin)?
If I stay healthy what is your opinion on the chance of a reoccurance? If I get a reoccurance will it be in the same place? Its not to bad at the top of the shaft, but I would hate it if it were on the head or foreskin! Is there much chance it could spread to other areas?
Thankyou
After seeing these warts at the top of my penis (where the shaft meets the body), I was obsessing, as you know. So I went to the GUM unit and had them checked out. The doctor said that she thought they were almost certainly genital warts (can't see what else they can be) and she froze them when I was there. Since they have turned a dark colour and I have been told that after 3-4 days to use Warticon cream in 3 days on, 4 days rest cycles.
As the GW's are in a place where a condom won't cover, I will not have sex with my girlfriend until they are healed. However, if it's 3-6 months without another outbreak so I don't pass it on, I don't see how I could wait this long. I think I will talk to my gf, tell her what has happened and hopefully I won't give it to her (if she doesn't have it already) once the warts are cleared up.
My questions are, why have I been treated with the freezing of the warts and prescribed the cream? On most websites its one or the other, does this mean that the freezing isn't very effective on its own? How long does it normally take for smallish warts to heal after freezing and using this cream (podophyllotoxin)?
If I stay healthy what is your opinion on the chance of a reoccurance? If I get a reoccurance will it be in the same place? Its not to bad at the top of the shaft, but I would hate it if it were on the head or foreskin! Is there much chance it could spread to other areas?
Thankyou
Also, if you have been with your girlfriend a while and are sure she didn't pass it onto you in the first place, shes probably already caught it from you and just hasn't developed any symptoms/hasn't noiced any
Its okay Ryan. Are you sure your girlfriend didn't pass the virus on to you? She may have it but not have symptoms yet. Some never develop symptoms. Doctors advise you assume you are no longer contagious if you haven't had an outbreak in 3 months. Some advise 6 months.
You could explain the situation to your girlfriend, ask her opinion on what it is. If you are in a seriouse relationship you may just want to carry on having sex anyway, she is likely to catch it if you are planning on staying together for a long time. You should decide together what you want to do sex wise, because it will be very difficult to refrain from sex for 6 months. Even after being symptom free for 6 months, you still may have an outbreak after that time, or the HPV in your body could still be active. All you can do is assume. Thats why its best to discuss your options as a couple.
Once the warts have been removed, your chances of passing the virus on are much less, as the warts bring the HPV to the surface of the skin. Being symptom free and wearing a condom reduce the risk of passing it on significantly - but not 100%. There is always a risk.
You could explain the situation to your girlfriend, ask her opinion on what it is. If you are in a seriouse relationship you may just want to carry on having sex anyway, she is likely to catch it if you are planning on staying together for a long time. You should decide together what you want to do sex wise, because it will be very difficult to refrain from sex for 6 months. Even after being symptom free for 6 months, you still may have an outbreak after that time, or the HPV in your body could still be active. All you can do is assume. Thats why its best to discuss your options as a couple.
Once the warts have been removed, your chances of passing the virus on are much less, as the warts bring the HPV to the surface of the skin. Being symptom free and wearing a condom reduce the risk of passing it on significantly - but not 100%. There is always a risk.
Thanks for the reply Amie. If it turns out to be gential warts, and I have them removed, then how long will I have to wait until I can have sex with my girlfriend? The last thing I want to do is pass it onto her! Due to the position (top of the shaft/end of pubic hair) a condom won't cover the place where the warts are. Obviously I wouldn't sleep with her if I had symptoms, but if they are frozen off/medication gets rid of them, then am I no longer infectious or is there a waiting period after they are gone?
I just want to make sure that I don't pass them on, but at the same time I don't want it to stop me ever having sex again :-(
I just want to make sure that I don't pass them on, but at the same time I don't want it to stop me ever having sex again :-(
Could be anything, but if it looks like that picture it probably is genial warts. Every sexually active person is at risk. Get checked just incase, you never know. It could just be irritation or an ingrown hair. GW vary from person to person in looks, some people experience tiny white dots, fleshy growths, cauliflower like shapes. Some are red, brown and some are flesh coloured. The doctor will be able to tell just be looking at them.
GW can either continue to enlarge/more could appear, they could stay as they are or they could dissapear as your immune system fights off the virus. It really does depend on the person.
Usually people clear of the virus in 6-24 months so theres nothing to worry about, despite how frightening GW can seem. Genital warts do not cause any other health hassards like other types of HPV, they are just an annoyance. Get diagnosed for you peace of mind as it could be nothing. And if you do have GW you are best to get them treated as they are more likely to go away
GW can either continue to enlarge/more could appear, they could stay as they are or they could dissapear as your immune system fights off the virus. It really does depend on the person.
Usually people clear of the virus in 6-24 months so theres nothing to worry about, despite how frightening GW can seem. Genital warts do not cause any other health hassards like other types of HPV, they are just an annoyance. Get diagnosed for you peace of mind as it could be nothing. And if you do have GW you are best to get them treated as they are more likely to go away
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