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Genital Warts...Should I get a second opinion?
I slept with somebody in Jan- Feb 2011. He had a bump on his penis, which looked like a normal skin bump that I've seen before, but some part of me wondered. I still had unprotected sex with him (stupid). About a month/month1/2 after last sexual contact, I had itching/burning around inner opening of vagina, and got bad cramps. I've noticed a few isolated incidents of white/flesh colored bumps growing on my gums (performed oral sex ). They went away within a week (not herpes, not painful). This last round occured on my inner bottom lip. One stayed about a week & 1/2, got fairly big, and has shrunk significantly, but still there. Around it were tiny white& flesh colored bumps that came up and went away w/in couple of days. I think I see very tiny white bumps starting to grow on the outside of my top lip. My vaginal area still itches/ burns,& gets worse when touched. My right eye had a tiny wart like growth that stayed for about a month and went away. It has been itching the past couple of days, got puffy, & I think I see small bumps in the spot where it itches.
I went to my gyno who said my vaginal area and cervix looked fine. I showed him my inner lower lip, which was pretty much resolved by the time he saw it, and he said those were not warts. I've even told him the bumps have popped up on my gums before and went away. He said they were probably just clogged mucous membranes. He dismissed the itching and burning, even though I tested negative for both bv and yeast, prescribed itching cream. He also told me that most of the time genital warts occur on the skin on the outside.
His answer leaves me a bit perplexed. Everything I've read about genital warts falls in line with my symptoms.
QUESTIONS:
Do my symptoms sound like genital warts?
Also, What are the odds that I, a 27 year old female, can clear this virus? Is it true that apx. 90% of ppl 'clear' the virus w/in 2 years?
By 'clear' do they mean the virus has left your body, or still there, but in check?
I went to my gyno who said my vaginal area and cervix looked fine. I showed him my inner lower lip, which was pretty much resolved by the time he saw it, and he said those were not warts. I've even told him the bumps have popped up on my gums before and went away. He said they were probably just clogged mucous membranes. He dismissed the itching and burning, even though I tested negative for both bv and yeast, prescribed itching cream. He also told me that most of the time genital warts occur on the skin on the outside.
His answer leaves me a bit perplexed. Everything I've read about genital warts falls in line with my symptoms.
QUESTIONS:
Do my symptoms sound like genital warts?
Also, What are the odds that I, a 27 year old female, can clear this virus? Is it true that apx. 90% of ppl 'clear' the virus w/in 2 years?
By 'clear' do they mean the virus has left your body, or still there, but in check?
Thank you very much. I will heed your advice, as well as that of my doctor's. I really appreciate your time!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
No, none of this change my opinion or advice. The most important thing is that a knowledgeable clinician has examined you and reassured you there is no evidence you have genital warts. Combining that with all else you say, you really should not be at all worried about this.
Thank you for your reply. I think a large part of my fears came from some websites that said sometimes warts can be so small you can barely see them and there can be itching and burning w/o warts present. I think it was the CDC website. Also my best friend who just graduated med school said she's never heard of isolated incidents of 'clogged mucous membranes' on the gums on separate occasions or on the lips. She also told me it could very well be that I have them, which put the fear in me. Also, it was 1-1.5 months after the last sexual contact...which puts it at about three months, does this change your opinion? I'm a naturally worried person, which doesn't help, but I'll have to visit a psyche forum for that. Again, thank you very much for your reply. I suppose I'll just have to keep watching myself, stop making stupid choice, and go get counseling. Thanks again!
Sincerely,
Playedwfire
Sincerely,
Playedwfire
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Bottom line: it is very unlikely you have genital warts. There are several reasons I am confident about it.
First, as you seem to understand, various bumps and irregularities of the penile skin are very common, and genital warts usually are multiple. Thus, your description of a single bump does not sound like your partner had a wart. Second, although it used to be thought warts could show up in a few weeks, more recent research shows new warts rarely are visible earlier than 3 months and the average is 6-8 months; and it can take a year or more. So your symptoms 1-1.5 months later did not suggest warts. Third, warts and HPV do not itch, except sometimes when multiple or very large warts are present that get irritated or infected. Genital itching by itself never hints at HPV or warts.
As for your oral symptoms, I agree exactly with your doctor: you are observing normal mucus glands. Everybody has them, easily visible as small white bumps if the inside of the lip is stretched. Some such glands can become more or less prominent as they fill of mucus and then empty. Warts do not come and go as you describe. Also, oral warts are extemely rare. Even in people who frequently perform oral sex on parters with large and obvious genital warts, we rare see oral warts.
Finally, your doctor's opinion that you have neither genital or oral warts is itself strong evidence. Warts are easy to observe and accurately diagnose visually, especially by a gynecologist who undoubtedly has seen hundreds of patients with genital warts.
When anxious about a health problem search the web for it, they tend to be drawn to information that inflames their fears and they misinterpret much of what you read. In contrast to your statement that you found your symptoms are suggestive of warts, the opposite is true: you describe nothing that makes me even slightly concerned that you have HPV or genital (or oral) warts. If you find yourself still drawn to online searching about it, I suggest you limit your searches to professionally run sites with no commercial interests and not run by and for infected persons.
1) Those comments obviously answer your first specific question.
2) As a sexually active 27 year old, you can assume you have had one or more HPV infections. Genital HPV is unavoidable, a normal aspect of human sexuality, and virtually everyone with 3 or more lifetime sex partners has been infected at least once. Fortunately, almost all infections remain asymptomatic, do not lead to warts or cancer, and clear up on their own. So the direct answer is yes, if you have (or have had) HPV, it will clear up if it hasn't already done so.
3) However, you do raise a bit of a semantic issue. Many experts believe HPV DNA persists forever in formerly infected tissues, and once in a while can reactivate. However, as indicated above, in the large majority of cases the infection cannot be detected, does not recur, and is not transmitted. So for practical purposes, most infections are cured by the immune system, even if true biological cure is uncertain.
The bottom line is that you should not be at all worried about HPV. Follow your gynecologist's advice about regular pap smears (depending on your past pap history, that will mean repeat tests at either 1 year or 3 year intervals). That's the only step you need to be concerned about at this time.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
First, as you seem to understand, various bumps and irregularities of the penile skin are very common, and genital warts usually are multiple. Thus, your description of a single bump does not sound like your partner had a wart. Second, although it used to be thought warts could show up in a few weeks, more recent research shows new warts rarely are visible earlier than 3 months and the average is 6-8 months; and it can take a year or more. So your symptoms 1-1.5 months later did not suggest warts. Third, warts and HPV do not itch, except sometimes when multiple or very large warts are present that get irritated or infected. Genital itching by itself never hints at HPV or warts.
As for your oral symptoms, I agree exactly with your doctor: you are observing normal mucus glands. Everybody has them, easily visible as small white bumps if the inside of the lip is stretched. Some such glands can become more or less prominent as they fill of mucus and then empty. Warts do not come and go as you describe. Also, oral warts are extemely rare. Even in people who frequently perform oral sex on parters with large and obvious genital warts, we rare see oral warts.
Finally, your doctor's opinion that you have neither genital or oral warts is itself strong evidence. Warts are easy to observe and accurately diagnose visually, especially by a gynecologist who undoubtedly has seen hundreds of patients with genital warts.
When anxious about a health problem search the web for it, they tend to be drawn to information that inflames their fears and they misinterpret much of what you read. In contrast to your statement that you found your symptoms are suggestive of warts, the opposite is true: you describe nothing that makes me even slightly concerned that you have HPV or genital (or oral) warts. If you find yourself still drawn to online searching about it, I suggest you limit your searches to professionally run sites with no commercial interests and not run by and for infected persons.
1) Those comments obviously answer your first specific question.
2) As a sexually active 27 year old, you can assume you have had one or more HPV infections. Genital HPV is unavoidable, a normal aspect of human sexuality, and virtually everyone with 3 or more lifetime sex partners has been infected at least once. Fortunately, almost all infections remain asymptomatic, do not lead to warts or cancer, and clear up on their own. So the direct answer is yes, if you have (or have had) HPV, it will clear up if it hasn't already done so.
3) However, you do raise a bit of a semantic issue. Many experts believe HPV DNA persists forever in formerly infected tissues, and once in a while can reactivate. However, as indicated above, in the large majority of cases the infection cannot be detected, does not recur, and is not transmitted. So for practical purposes, most infections are cured by the immune system, even if true biological cure is uncertain.
The bottom line is that you should not be at all worried about HPV. Follow your gynecologist's advice about regular pap smears (depending on your past pap history, that will mean repeat tests at either 1 year or 3 year intervals). That's the only step you need to be concerned about at this time.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
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.
