my girlfriend

[345medhelpFAN]

Hello -

My girlfriend got gential warts in August, we think from me, but I am asymptomatic.  She went to the OB/GYN, and was given Condloyx, which got rid of the wart.  She had a reoccurance about 6 weeks later, this time they didn't look like cauliflower like the first one, these were more numerous and smaller.  Condloyx worked well on them, but at first glance, warts is not what we thought.  Probably about a month or so ago, she had a foul smelling discharge, but that seemed to clear up.  It just seems that her vagina gets irratated a lot, she has small bumps, sometimes they seem like lesions.  Nothing white filled or pus like.  She had a physical earlier this year.  Perfect blood work.  As did I.  We are seriously dating.  I have no symptoms, we don't use condoms (to reduce chances of irration) and do not have sex that frequently, we want her to get healthy down there.  She also has a hemrrhoid, which when it went away it left a bit of loose skin, that gets irratated, and bleeds.  The whole area seems upset.

Any thoughts on what is going on?  Could a bacterial infection be causing this?  Are warts still at work here...

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Yes, I think things are likely to clear up on their own.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[345medhelpFAN]

Thanks.
We were both tested for Herpes, HIV, etc. all negative, I am not sure if it was the Herpeselect test.  She did have BV, but it cleared up.  So I read to her your response and her comments or greatest concern is with the warts.  She feels the irratation is gone (perhaps it was new soap), there was never soreness, the BV is gone, and her real concern is warts.  When it first popped up on Aug 1st, it was cauliflower and obvious.  The OB/GYN gave her medicine.  Her reoccurances are not as prominent as the initial wart.  They are small, flesh like bumps around the vaginal opening.  She does have a fleshy opening to her vagina and she is hesitant to use the medicine when she just is not sure.  The first (initial wart) and second time this occured, the bumps responed well to the Condolyx.  She is making an appt to just let the OB/GYN confirm they are or are not warts and go from there.

I personally think they are likely small fleshy warts, but I agree that she should go to confirm.

Our question for you:  She is a healthy girl otherwise, we are now 4 solid months since first visible wart, on average her body should contol this infection soon?

thanks

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Whenever there is unexplained irritation, soreness, or lesions of the genitals, it is wise to check for herpes.  Your partner's symptoms aren't typical, but they are compatible with that infection.  I suggest you both see your health care providers (or both go to her ObGyn) and request an HSV-2 blood test.  Ask for the HerpeSelect test by name (see numerous other forum questions and responses about herpes diagnosis and why you have to have that particular test).  The fact that you don't have symptoms of either herpes doesn't mean the infection isn't there; most persons with herpes (and most people with HPV) have no symptoms.

I can't comment very well on your partner's 2nd round of bumps, except that if they responded to podofilox (Condylox) they probably were warts.  But I doubt this had much to do with her other symptoms.

A "foul smelling" vaginal discharge sounds like bacterial vaginosis (BV) or, less likely, trichomonas.  The odor often is "fishy" and commonly is most prominent after sex.  BV usually isn't serious, but sometimes can be triggered by others STDs.  Don't worry about it for now, but she should be reexamined if the odor reappears.

Good luck--  HHH, MD