[Question #10422] Wart found after sexual contact

Avatar photo
23 months ago
I recently found a wart on my groin after having sexual contact. I'm a man, wore a condom, and my partner is female. I initially discovered I had genital warts 3 years ago, had them "frozen" off, and went through the full 6mo gardasil vaccine regimen at that time over 2 years ago. I had not seen any warts since, but after visiting a local dermatologist, was told that this did look like another wart, and the Dr. froze this one off as well.

My question is around the idea to informing my partner, who I am not in a committed relationship with, about the wart, which was discovered after we had intercourse but I assume was there during our sexual encounter. Do you recommend I approach this matter with this partner to inform them about the wart I found?
Avatar photo
Edward W. Hook M.D.
23 months ago
Welcome to the Forum.  Thanks for your question.  Your good to think about informing your partner about the lesion you've found but I would not recommend sharing it with her at this time. Here are the reasons:

1.  From the sounds of things, your dermatologist was entirely sure that this was a wart.   Visual diagnosis is notoriously inaccurate.  Further, treatment is non-specific.   There are many non-HPV genital lesions which can appear on the groin.
2.  The chances of this being a wart are further reduced by the fact that you've had the HPV vaccine which would prevent acquisition of more than 95% of new infections if you were exposed.
3.  Even if this was a wart, most single exposures, particularly those located in uncharacteristic locations such as the groin (vs the penis itself)
4.  Presuming that your partner has had other partners, it is likely that if she has not been vaccinated, that she already has HPV.  Over 80% of sexually active, unvaccinated adults have one or more HPV infections.  Conversely, is she is vaccinated, she would not be susceptible to HPV if that is what the lesion was (although I suspect it was not).

I hope this perspective is helpful.  Obviously disclosure is a personal decision but, in my opinion you really don't know enough at this time to be confident that this is a wart or that disclosure is needed.  One person's opinion.  EWH
---