Gental Wart infecton timeframes

[mvvaughn]

I am a male and about 6 weeks ago I had an encounter with a Canadian Escort, we had protected oral and vaginal sex.  A week or so ago I noticed a small bump or growth on my penis on the skin where I was circumcised that looked a little different than others.

Its looks like it could be a genital  wart however I understand many times these things can be confused with penile papules, sebaceous glands, skin tags, and Follicolitus. Also due to the location and fact I had a condom on and based on what I've read it doesn't seem like that would be a spot where the wart would occur if it is one since that area was  protected.

1. Is it common for a wart to show up after exposure in 4 -5 weeks?

2. Assuming I was infected by this person would the wart show up in an area that was protected by the condom or somewhere else generally?

3. Based on the timing is it more likely if it's a wart that I already had it and its not from this encounter?

4. I've been in a relationship for 12 years and my partner has not said anything about warts, nor I have noticed this before.  Is it possible one of us could have had HPV all along and just not known it? The majority of the time we use condoms.

5. There seems to varying data but the CDC or AHDC? noted based on recent information that condoms can be around 70% effective for preventing HPV transmission.  My interpretation of this may be incorrect though.

I am heading to a dermatologist on Monday to get it looked as that seems to be the best approach to get to the bottom of this.  

Thanks in advance for your response.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Hope I can help with your questions.  From your description it is unlikely that you have acquired a genital wart from a condom protected exposure.  condoms work and if you were going to get HPV from such an exposure it would be expect to occur at a site which was not condom protected.  Let's go to your questions:

1.  The timing is about right for the appearance of a wart.  On the other hand, as you have already noted, all of the rest of the information suggests that either this did not come from the exposure you are concerned about and has been there un-noticed for longer or that it is something other than a wart.
2.  See above.  It would not be expected for a wart to show up at a spot which was covered by the condom.
3.  See above.
4.  This scenario is also possible.  Many people who have warts are not aware of them for long periods of time.
5.  Not sure who the AHDC is.  I would say that condoms are AT LEAST 70% effective for preventing warts. These sorts of studies are VERY difficult to study because many people do not use condoms 100% of the time and so many people have HPV infections even at the time they enter such studies.  I would consider the published estimates to be conservative.

Finally, as I think you already know, if it is a wart, it is not the end of the world. Most people will have them at one time or another and visible warts just about never go on to cause severe consequences.

Hope my comments help. Please let me know what the dermatologist says.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Thanks for the followup and words of experience.  Take care.  EWH

[mvvaughn]

I thought I would post an update as they were so helpful when I was trying to figure what was going with me.

I got the biopsy results and it turned out to be nothing, I can't remember the medical name for it but it was a papule or something.  It's been close to 13 weeks now and I've been symptom free.

In hindsight I was freaking out and panicking and filled with anxiety.  I was convinced I had something and when I got the medical confirmation I did not have anything I moved on to the next thing based on all the research and time I was spending online learning about possible STD's.  I pretty much basically convinced myself I had something and at time I really believed it and felt it.  Who knew it all could be in my head but it was.

I had all the standard tests and then had a HSV-2 Herpes Select test at 7 weeks post exposure and ended up having a biopsy as noted in the post.  All came back negative.

Based on not having any symptoms after getting all the negative test results I finally calmed down.  I don't plan to get anymore tests based on being more rational now and not having symptoms at 13 weeks and the fact that I wore a condom.  

So for others that are freaking out and convinced you have something I hope my story helps.  If you asked 7 or 8 weeks ago I thought my life as I knew it was over.  With some time and rational thoughts it got better, and in my case I fortunate that to date my tests have been negative and I haven't had any type of symptoms.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Thanks for the update.  Sounds like you are doing exactly the right thing.  I look forward to your next update.  EWH

[mvvaughn]

UPDATE: I went to the dermatologist today and his first reaction was it's a sebaceous gland after examining my penis under a lighted magnifying glass. I asked if could be anything else and he said possibly a wart but didn't think so based how its positioned or connected to the dermis, although it was raised more then the other sebaceous glands he noted. He did say if it was a small or newly forming wart it would be hard to tell at this point.

Anyway, after talking with him a bit more saying I would really like to know for sure he said we could do a biopsy and have it looked at under a microscope, we did.  So I expect to have the results in two weeks and will post an update.

I will provide an update then and based on the results I may or may not have more questions.

Thanks for you help so far.