[Question #10915] Oral hpv test
18 months ago
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Hello dr I did oral hpv saliva test 23 days after my exposure and 49 days after my exposure both was negative I know it’s not recommended to do the test but what do you think about my negative results?
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
18 months ago
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Welcome to the forum. Thank you for your succinct question. My reply is similar.
Probably you do not have oral HPV; and the large majority of exposures to someone's genital HPV infection (i.e. by oral sex) probably do not result in transmission of the virus. And since oral HPV is fairly uncommon, a negative result is to be expected. On the other hand, no HPV test detects every infection. In addition, some infections might not show up for months or years. You might ask the lab if they have data on performance of their test, i.e. the sensitivity -- in other words, the percent of existing infections they believe the test detects.
I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.
HHH, MD
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18 months ago
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The lab they told me to retest after one year of my exposure
Do you recommend any test for oral hpv ? Swab? Or another method to detect the virus? As I’m under Infliximab medication
And my exposure it was low risk to be clear with you some one spit in my mouth a saliva
18 months ago
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And I want to know if the hpv can transmit from one exposure to the mouth or need more than exposure?
And as I noticed on the cdc website they are saying hpv can transmit from the hand to the mouth
What is the thing making the hpv transmit hand oral posible? Because I noticed some time you answered zero risk and sometimes you answered low risk that means if my girlfriend touched someone else penis one hour before and then I licked her hand ?
18 months ago
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And I noticed there’s infection drs they are saying saliva do not transmit hpv and there is other drs saying saliva can transmit hpv
What do you think?
Same for hand /oral contact
Based on your experience
What is the risk for each exposure?
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
18 months ago
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Wow! From a simple question to ones that cover the entire gamut of HPV!!
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"Do you recommend any test for oral hpv?" No, I have never advised oral HPV testing. And rarely any HPV testing at all, except with Pap smear. As for what specimens (spit/saliva, swab, swish and swallow, or gargle) there is no consensus on which collection method is best. Lack of standardization is one reason HPV testing is not recommended by CDC or other public health agencies except to accompany Pap smears.
Infliximab makes no difference in risk of infection if exposed, and no known effect on test detection.
If you carefully read whatever CDC says about hand-to-mouth HPV transmission (or hand-to-genital), I'm sure you'll find a qualification like "possible", "some experts believe", "speculation", etc. This definitely is not a proved or scientifically accepted transmission risk.
"if the hpv can transmit from one exposure....?" One exposure certainly can transmit it; and obviously the risk is higher with multiple exposures. But still, oral HPV is not common. When present, it rarely causes disease and is not transmitted further.
"some time you answered zero risk and sometimes you answered low risk". You're over-interpreting our responses in other threads. There is no significiant difference between "zero" or "very low" risk. Whenever we say zero, we try to remember to qualify it with things like "for all practical purposes", "little or no risk", etc, but sometimes we forget -- or it isn't necessary to respond to the particular question. It is impossible to prove a negative, so nobody can say there is truly zero risk for any single exposure type. But there has never been a proved case of hand-genital or hand-oral HPV transmission.
Any detailed information about whether or not saliva itself can transmit HPV (or herpes, or HIV, or gonorrhea, etc, etc) is speculative. There is no proof one way or the other. But for all these, there are few if any known cases in which exposure to saliva was the only possible source of someone's infection. Here again, I cannot prove it never happens. But I can say that it has never been proved to occur.
In general, HPV probably must be massaged into exposed tissues for infection to take hold. That's why initial genital warts (and herpes, for that matter) almost always occurs at sites of friction during sex: penile shaft, vaginal or anal opening, labia minor, etc. And why simple exposure to any body fluid (genital fluids, saliva, etc) rarely if ever transmit HPV.
My advice is to ignore oral HPV; it's uncommon, rarely dangerous, and rarely transmitted. Genital HPV is much more important -- but is unavoidable with a normal sex life. (Almost everybody gets infected. That's why immunization against HPV is so important: it prevents almost all potentially serious health impacts of HPV, anywhere on the body. If you haven't been vaccinated, do it now. Then stop worrying about any of this.
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18 months ago
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Thank you for your answer
What is my my risk to get the oral hpv from hand / oral if my partner touched some else penis one hour before i licked her hand
What is the the risk to get oral hpv from the saliva I’m my case ?
18 months ago
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And really I was reviewing dr Edward answer he is telling that the saliva can’t transmit the hpv
And even he mentioned that if someone touch the penis for example and then the hand was licked there is no possibility to get oral hpv
18 months ago
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And from what I understand if I have oral hpv it not transmitting farther or it’s not easy to be transmitting?
And even if the hpv present in the hand after one hour is still transmitting?
One exposure as my exposure is it enough to be transmitted to my mouth?
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
18 months ago
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You're asking the same questions as before, using different words. The answers are in my replies above, or they are obvious from the information provided there.
"What is my my risk to get the oral hpv from hand / oral if my partner touched some else penis one hour before i licked her hand?" Zero.
"What is the the risk to get oral hpv from the saliva I’m my case?" Zero.
I agree with Dr. Hook's statements. I said the same things above.
Your last three statements are correct. I'm glad you understand.
That completes the two follow-up comments and replies included with each question and so ends this thread. Please do not start a new thread with more questions about oral HPV. Carefully re-read my replies above if you don't understand something. If English isn't your primary language, perhaps you should use Google Translate or a similar app; or discuss with a friend who has excellent English skills.
I hope the discussion has been helpful. Best wishes and stay safe.
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