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HPV by indirect contact?
Hi doctor, I'm a 1st year med student and I must say this forum is amazing, thank you for all you do, people sleep better at night because of this forum. I have looked for the answer to my questions in former posts but I could not find them, so forgive me if you are having to repeat an answer. I am a heterosexual male. Here are my questions, if I "fingered" a female partner and say she had warts and they made contact with my hand and then I touched my genitals, what are the chances I passed the virus onto myself. Would it die in the air or does indirect contact still occur. Secondly, this is more of a general question I have just wondered about. Does HPV only occur where contact was made. For example, If someone has never had anal sex, but if they contracted HPV through vaginal sex, could warts appear on the anus or only at the point of contact?
And for anyone who is wondering I have asked professors about this and researched it and it does seem HPV does eradicate itself over time, (they say 6 months to 12 months.) In running the gambit, HPV is really not that big of a deal. Thanks again doctor, and keep on clearing hearts and minds.
mk
And for anyone who is wondering I have asked professors about this and researched it and it does seem HPV does eradicate itself over time, (they say 6 months to 12 months.) In running the gambit, HPV is really not that big of a deal. Thanks again doctor, and keep on clearing hearts and minds.
mk
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Greetings. Thanks for your kind comments about the STD forum.
As you will learn in your medical career, often there is a giant difference between "Can X occur?" and "Does X occur?" Could HPV be transmitted to the genitals in the way you describe? Possibly. Does it occur with measurable frequency? No. The reason is another thing you will learn, which most non-medically trained persons don't understand: with few if any exceptions, transmission of infections isn't all-or-none. The dose of the pathogen and other details of exposure are extremely important. For HPV, it is likely that a certain minimum amount of virus has to be massaged into the superficial layers of the skin, i.e. enough microtrauma to get the virus into the skin, not just on it. (Which is why warts occur primarily on those surfaces that get the most bumping and grinding during sex: head and shaft of penis, but not scrotum; vaginal opening an minor labia, usually not labia major; and so on. Although the anus may be a special case--see below.) So if you were to intentionally scratch a partner's wart then intentionally scratch yourself, I'm sure you could transmit HPV. But few if any people get genital HPV in the way you describe.
Your second question also is a bit complex. As far as is known, HPV doesn't travel to distant locations internally, i.e. by blood stream dissemination. Direct inoculation is required. But some HPV infections do appear in the general vicinity but not exactly at the point of inoculation--and by far the most common scenario, as you suggest, is anal infection. In fact, anal warts are not all that rare in both men and women who have never had anal sex. The likelihood is that anal tissues are more susceptible to the virus, i.e. less virus and/or less vigorous inoculation may be required. And that may allow for manual contact with one's own or a partner's genital HPV, with anal infection by scratching; or for infected secretions during sex to get to the anal area. The explantion isn't known for sure, but something like this undoubtedly explains many anal warts in women and the occasional cases seen in homosexual men.
You have the right perspective on HPV: Getting anogenital infection isn't desired, but it is normal; until the promising vaccines become available, it isn't readily preventable; and the large majority of the time nothing bad comes of it.
From a long-time medical school professor, best wishes in your medical education-- HHH, MD
As you will learn in your medical career, often there is a giant difference between "Can X occur?" and "Does X occur?" Could HPV be transmitted to the genitals in the way you describe? Possibly. Does it occur with measurable frequency? No. The reason is another thing you will learn, which most non-medically trained persons don't understand: with few if any exceptions, transmission of infections isn't all-or-none. The dose of the pathogen and other details of exposure are extremely important. For HPV, it is likely that a certain minimum amount of virus has to be massaged into the superficial layers of the skin, i.e. enough microtrauma to get the virus into the skin, not just on it. (Which is why warts occur primarily on those surfaces that get the most bumping and grinding during sex: head and shaft of penis, but not scrotum; vaginal opening an minor labia, usually not labia major; and so on. Although the anus may be a special case--see below.) So if you were to intentionally scratch a partner's wart then intentionally scratch yourself, I'm sure you could transmit HPV. But few if any people get genital HPV in the way you describe.
Your second question also is a bit complex. As far as is known, HPV doesn't travel to distant locations internally, i.e. by blood stream dissemination. Direct inoculation is required. But some HPV infections do appear in the general vicinity but not exactly at the point of inoculation--and by far the most common scenario, as you suggest, is anal infection. In fact, anal warts are not all that rare in both men and women who have never had anal sex. The likelihood is that anal tissues are more susceptible to the virus, i.e. less virus and/or less vigorous inoculation may be required. And that may allow for manual contact with one's own or a partner's genital HPV, with anal infection by scratching; or for infected secretions during sex to get to the anal area. The explantion isn't known for sure, but something like this undoubtedly explains many anal warts in women and the occasional cases seen in homosexual men.
You have the right perspective on HPV: Getting anogenital infection isn't desired, but it is normal; until the promising vaccines become available, it isn't readily preventable; and the large majority of the time nothing bad comes of it.
From a long-time medical school professor, best wishes in your medical education-- HHH, MD
Thanks Doctor for putting that in laymen's terms, you explained that better than any professor I've had.
Kudos and keep up the good work.
mk
Kudos and keep up the good work.
mk
Paragraph 3 in my response, last sentence: Should read "occasional cases in HETEROsexual men." Sorry for any confuseion--
HHH, MD
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.
