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How To Disclose HPV?
I am a 31-year-old gay man who was diagnosed with HPV genital warts/condyloma on the anus in November 2009. I most probably got it from penile-anal contact; I've never had unprotected anal sex. I applied cream and had the warts frozen off over the course of several months and was told by my doctor that everything was clear by August 2010. He said to come back once every three years to check for symptoms of anal cancer. I was then, and remain, HIV-negative and have a healthy immune system. I have no symptoms of HPV anymore, but I'm planning to have anal sex with a man whom I am dating. Counselors at my local STD clinic have said I am not ethically obliged to disclose my HPV status because over 70% of sexually active adults have it anyway. In your opinion, am I obliged to disclose my HPV status to my new partner before having anal sex because there is still some risk of skin-to-skin transmission of infection? What exactly am I ethically bound to tell him? Thank you.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.
Questions about informing partners of past HPV infections are fairly common on the forum. It is discussed in the threads linked below, and other discussions linked in one of those. In addition, you can use the forum's search function -- try terms like "HPV informing partners", "warts, sex partner", and so on.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/763984
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/763292
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1269909
The main theme is that you are under no ethical obligation at all to inform future partners of any HPV infection diagnosed in past years and now gone. You probably have read that HPV can persiste indefinitely and can recur later. That's true, but it isn't the usual situation; HPV DNA may persist, but most infections do not recur, at least not at a level that can be transmitted or that will cause recurrent disease. Equally important, you can assume that your future partners have been exposed, probably repeatedly. Virtually all sexually active persons acquire several genital or anal HPV infections anyway -- and informing people of past infections has absolutely no effect on the chance they will be infected (again?) in the future. This is especially the case in gay men, most of whom probably experience even more HPV infections than most women or straight men.
Of course, you may decide to tell a partner anyway -- out of kindness and openness in relationships, especially a partner that may have promise for a committed relationship. But this is a relationship issue, not one of disease prevention.
I hope this has helped. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Questions about informing partners of past HPV infections are fairly common on the forum. It is discussed in the threads linked below, and other discussions linked in one of those. In addition, you can use the forum's search function -- try terms like "HPV informing partners", "warts, sex partner", and so on.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/763984
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/763292
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1269909
The main theme is that you are under no ethical obligation at all to inform future partners of any HPV infection diagnosed in past years and now gone. You probably have read that HPV can persiste indefinitely and can recur later. That's true, but it isn't the usual situation; HPV DNA may persist, but most infections do not recur, at least not at a level that can be transmitted or that will cause recurrent disease. Equally important, you can assume that your future partners have been exposed, probably repeatedly. Virtually all sexually active persons acquire several genital or anal HPV infections anyway -- and informing people of past infections has absolutely no effect on the chance they will be infected (again?) in the future. This is especially the case in gay men, most of whom probably experience even more HPV infections than most women or straight men.
Of course, you may decide to tell a partner anyway -- out of kindness and openness in relationships, especially a partner that may have promise for a committed relationship. But this is a relationship issue, not one of disease prevention.
I hope this has helped. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Thank you, Dr. Handsfield.
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.
