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
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
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 very much. I will heed your advice, as well as that of my doctor's. I really appreciate your time!