Abnormal Pap - New Girlfriend

[345medhelpFAN]

Started dating someone a month ago.  Decided to both get tested and not see anyone else sexually.  All blood work came back negative for everything.  Physical exam also showed no signs of anything.  She is also on birth control.  I am a healthy 30 year old male, she is a healthy 31 year old female.  During her pap the doc said her cervix looked good.  With all of this we began to have sex.  Last week she got called about her pap .. ASC-US result.  She goes today to have coloscopy.  Her last partner was 7 months ago, mine was 6 months ago.  Neither of us show any signs of HPV.  I did have warts 5 years ago, but have been free ever since.  She has never had any known STD.  So here are my concerns ... are warts likely to develop?  I thought I read that the strain that causes cell changes rarely also leads to warts.  Also if its been 7 months since her exposure (assuming that was when she got it) warts would have likely shown up by now?  Do we need to stop being intimate?  Is oral sex still safe? Thank you for your time.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Congratulations to you and your GF on your entire approach to this.  Your discussions with one another, your decision to get tested and hr vaccination are all the right things to do.  So, what to do about her ASCUS?

First, HPV is so widespread that I can safely say that nearly everyone has it.  It is highly probable that each of you has had HPV infections in the past.  I say this by way of reassurance and to tell you that there are good ways to work this out.  It is not currently known for sure if her ASCUS is HPV-related or not - a substantial proportion is not.  Even if it is HPV related, in all likelihood it will resolve on its own, through the action of her own immune system.  If it does not, then she needs follow-up with her GYN in much the same way that she has already started.  So, in answer to your questions:

1.  Are warts likely to develop? - No, your reading is correct.
2.  Would visible warts have shown up on her by now.  Yes, most probably.
3.  Do you need to cease intimacy?- no.
4.  Is oral sex safe.  Yes.  There is occasional oral transmission of HPV, if present but it is relatively uncommon and consequences are very uncommon.

hope this helps.  EWH

[345medhelpFAN]

I also failed to mention that she has had 2 of the 3 shots of Gardsail.  She moved and changed doctors and her current doctor said she was too old to get Gardsail and she never got the third shot.  Her second shot was a year ago.  Her last pap a year ago was normal.   Thanks