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HPV disclosure...
I recently posted in the experts forum and Dr Hook was very helpful but still have a few questions that hopefully someone can clear up. Here is my original post:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Questions-about-HPV-transmission/show/1815058
Basically I have been freaking out about the following scenario: If I were to be intimate with someone who later tells me they found out they have a strain of genital HPV. I have severe OCD and guilt issues. I'm a 30 year old male...so basically I'm just wondering what I would 'need' to do in this sort of situation, since--unless I developed obvious warts--there'd be no way of 'knowing' if I got HPV from being intimate with someone who later found out they had it. I.e. do I tell future partners that I 'might' have HPV due to prior possible exposure, or is the whole idea here that this is slightly inane--that HPV is so prevalent that basically any sexually active person 'might' have it at any time, and therefore disclosing the chance is just leading to stress and possible anxiety?? Any advice appreciated (or links to relevant discussions already existing...)
The other scenario I was concerned about was similar--if I went down on a girl who later told me she had HPV, etc. Would I then be obligated to tell future partners I 'might have oral HPV'?? Since I have OCD I would end up telling someone this before I even kissed them, let alone went down on them, which obviously would be a sort of nightmarish and stressful scenario.
And finally, I'm a bit confused about HPV works overall. I know for men there is no strict test, that you wouldn't know you are infected unless it was a wart-causing strain. But for women, is it also possible to 'have' a strain or strains of HPV and never have it show up on a test? I.e. do some strains of HPV remain latent, in that they're 'there' but they don't cause abnormal paps or anything else that would raise an alarm? So basically, then, there are a ton of people--men AND women--walking around with essentially harmless HPV, with no tests picking up on it, which is why the issue of 'disclosure' is so fuzzy and muddled?
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Questions-about-HPV-transmission/show/1815058
Basically I have been freaking out about the following scenario: If I were to be intimate with someone who later tells me they found out they have a strain of genital HPV. I have severe OCD and guilt issues. I'm a 30 year old male...so basically I'm just wondering what I would 'need' to do in this sort of situation, since--unless I developed obvious warts--there'd be no way of 'knowing' if I got HPV from being intimate with someone who later found out they had it. I.e. do I tell future partners that I 'might' have HPV due to prior possible exposure, or is the whole idea here that this is slightly inane--that HPV is so prevalent that basically any sexually active person 'might' have it at any time, and therefore disclosing the chance is just leading to stress and possible anxiety?? Any advice appreciated (or links to relevant discussions already existing...)
The other scenario I was concerned about was similar--if I went down on a girl who later told me she had HPV, etc. Would I then be obligated to tell future partners I 'might have oral HPV'?? Since I have OCD I would end up telling someone this before I even kissed them, let alone went down on them, which obviously would be a sort of nightmarish and stressful scenario.
And finally, I'm a bit confused about HPV works overall. I know for men there is no strict test, that you wouldn't know you are infected unless it was a wart-causing strain. But for women, is it also possible to 'have' a strain or strains of HPV and never have it show up on a test? I.e. do some strains of HPV remain latent, in that they're 'there' but they don't cause abnormal paps or anything else that would raise an alarm? So basically, then, there are a ton of people--men AND women--walking around with essentially harmless HPV, with no tests picking up on it, which is why the issue of 'disclosure' is so fuzzy and muddled?
I think Dr Hook already more than answered your questions. pretty much you are way over thinking this all.
have you discussed all of this with your therapist?
grace
have you discussed all of this with your therapist?
grace
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You are reading content posted in the STDs / STIs 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.
