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Can I get Genital Warts from someone with HPV but no Genital Warts?
I've been talking to this girl for a bit and the topic of sex has come up. She told me that she has HPV, but she told me it's not genital warts. It's just the virus strain that causes cancer. So this brings me to my question, which is actually a 3 parter. 1. Is there an HPV strain that is just the cancer causing virus and no genital warts? 2. If that is true, can I still get genital warts if we have sex? 3. What would be the safest way to go about this?
1) Yes, most cancer causing HPVs do not cause warts. Warts are benign tumours of the skin
2) If she has a genital wart strain - yes. If she only has a high risk strain, your only at risk of catching that strain which can cause penile and anal cancers in the far future (though it's very rare)
3) Well how long ago was she diagnosed with HPV? Has she had any good paps since her diagnosis? If she is having good paps, it means the virus is laying dormant, and therefore she won't be contagious. The virus can become active again at any time. If you do not want to catch HPV, use a condom. If you and this girl are serious, and plan to be together for a long time then somewhere down the line you may want to resign yourself to the fact you will probably catch HPV too, if it is still active in her body.
2) If she has a genital wart strain - yes. If she only has a high risk strain, your only at risk of catching that strain which can cause penile and anal cancers in the far future (though it's very rare)
3) Well how long ago was she diagnosed with HPV? Has she had any good paps since her diagnosis? If she is having good paps, it means the virus is laying dormant, and therefore she won't be contagious. The virus can become active again at any time. If you do not want to catch HPV, use a condom. If you and this girl are serious, and plan to be together for a long time then somewhere down the line you may want to resign yourself to the fact you will probably catch HPV too, if it is still active in her body.
She was diagnosed when she was 17, shes 23 now, so 6 years ago. She a clear pap about two months ago.
It sounds like the virus is laying dormant, and therefore you are unlikely to catch it from her. After two years, most people become clear although the virus can become active again
Yea, when I talked to her a little more about it, she told me she had been clean on all her paps since she was diagnosed. Also, she receives gardasil shots. I'm not sure how that would help in this case, but she has been getting them.
Okay. Positive paps mean the virus is dormant, meaning you can't catch it. The virus can randomy become active again though, but as long as she stays healthy that's rare
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