Anyone out there dealing with this?? I have see the doc in 6 months..as far as my sec life she said there is nothing to be concerned about..
Should i be worried?
What say you?
Thanks
I would certainly make sure that he knows you have it. If you had STD testing that was all clear after other partners, then I would say definitely from your current partner.
Most women, especially young women, their bodies fight it off within six months or a year on their own. If your pap came back abnormal too, that would be more cause for concern, so good it was normal.
What if he's clear? Would that mean that i'm a carrier?
She compared it to a common/head cold, and said that an estimated 75% of sexually active adults get it at some point, and for most, they never even see it on tests because it clears up on it's own - much like a common cold does, even if you don't go to the doctor.
She also told me it's so common and so impossible to do anything about at the early stages (when for most people it clears up) that it's not even worth telling sexual partners about. Condoms don't protect against it. I have anyway, because it felt relevant to me, but none of the guys I've slept with since testing positive have really been overly concerned. It certainly hasn't stopped any of them.
Here is a resource that I found extremely helpful when I first tested positive: http://www.cdc.gov/sTd/hpv/pap/default.htm
If you scroll down, you will see a detailed chart that explains what the various pap smear/HPV test result combinations mean. Hopefully this will be useful to you, as it was to me.
I know that it's a little freaky to find out about this stuff; the day I got the news I spent at least 30 minutes crying and hyperventilating in the ladies' room at the office, while two work friends tried to reassure me (both of them had had it in the past). I promise though, it'll be okay. Even in a case like mine, where it did eventually develop into precancerous cells (this is extremely rare!) the surgery to remove them was quick, painless, and covered by insurance. I'm happy to PM with you about more details if yours progresses, but it's extremely likely that six months or a year from now, it'll be gone, and you won't ever have to think about it again.
Good job to you and your doctor for getting tested! I have heard that some gynos choose to skip the test because the virus is so common and not a big deal, but it's better to be aware and keep an eye on it, IMO. That way you'll know when it's gone.
Thanks again everyone my nerves are calmer...
He said the only way you'll never get it is if you're a virgin who only slept with a virgin--and then continues to only sleep with virgins.
It's so common, almost everyone has it.
Reconciled
Yes, it can be passed through oral sex. Since there is not a test for males, your SO will never know if he has it now, but again unless he was a virgin, he has been exposed to it. The unknown is whether or not he cleared it already.
High risk HPV, ie HPV 16, has been isolated from throat cancer. However, throat cancer is extremely uncommon, so there must be other factors beside HPV that can lead to cancer. So, we do not counsel against oral sex for women who test positive or for men who have genital warts (caused by a low risk type of HPV).
HPV can also be transmitted via licking fingers that touched someone's genitals who had HPV.
I hope this isn't too confusing. But the bottom line is try not to worry! As long as your pap is normal, then you are fine. If you smoke, then quit because smoking keeps the virus around longer. You basically want your immune system to fight off the virus, so stay healthy.
"...we do not counsel against oral sex ... for men who have genital warts..."
Eww.
One more good reason to WASH YOUR HANDS ALL THE TIME!
Let me guess...we both have Herpies.....orally and in our private regions...
Scary...
Good news is that there is a herpes blood test for men and women! The test can also distinguish between type 1 (usually mouth cold sores) versus type 2 (usually genital herpes).
Try not to worry about the HPV...
If you SO has a sore or wart on his junk, he should see his doctor as soon as possible, and you should not have sex with him until you know what's going on and have evaluated whether that's a risk you want to take.
I think you might want to spend some time researching HPV on reputable medical sites like WebMD or the CDC's website, because it doesn't sound like your doctor did a very good job explaining to you what you're dealing with.
ETA: Interesting (to me) side note, I have a good friend who is doing his dissertation with a research team at NIH studying instances of rectal cancer in homosexual men caused by HPV. From chatting with him, their preliminary findings are that it's extremely similar to the rates of cervical cancer and HPV in women.
[This message edited by Amazonia at 10:21 PM, March 13th (Thursday)]
I haven't had a chance to speak with my doc. The assistant called me while I was at work and I couldn't talk at the time. I've been doing some research but as you can see I still have questions.
My SO and I were discussing HPV today and he and I are puzzled that there isn't a testing for men. He could have HPV but we will never know. Another puzzling thing is my pap smear was normal and there was no mention of HPV last year but this year I have it. My SO and I have been together for 4.5 years and neither of us have slept with anyone else.
