[Question #11084] HPV questions

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17 months ago
Hello. The background to my question…20 years ago, I was surprised to learn I had one anal wart (non-cancerous stain) on excess skin from bad hemorrhoids that occurred from a long childbirth. l I found this out when I had surgery to remove the excess skin/hemorrhoids. The excess skin and wart had apparently been there unknowingly for a few years before I had the surgery. I only had one wart ever and, after it was removed, I never got another one. My questions are as follows…

1) Since the wart did not go away on its own, does that mean my body did not fight off the HPV like so many people do? 
2) Can a wart remain even after your body fights off the infection?
3)  Does never having another wart indicate that my body did fight it off eventually?
4) Would I need to worry about my body’s ability to have fought off other HPV strains that I may have come in contact with over the course of my relationships prior to marriage? Just looking for peace of mind. 
 

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Edward W. Hook M.D.
17 months ago
Welcome to our forum. Thank you for your questions. I’ll be glad to comment.  The fact that your wart was an incidental finding at the time your hemorrhoid/skin tag was removed suggests it was small and raises the very real possibility that the entire infection was removed at the time of surgery. The fact that there have been no recurrences or, I presume, abnormal Pap smears since that time, makes it unlikely that there is residual infection or that you are at risk for future recurrence.

In response to your specific questions:
1.  In the absence of any treatment, it is not unusual for warts to remain present for some period of time. That does not mean that your body was not fighting the infection.
2.  This is a complex question. There may be residual infectious material even after the body has fought off an infection or an infection has responded to treatment..  such areas of infection are relatively unlikely to recur.
3.  It certainly indicates that between your surgery and your body’s own reaction to the infection, your infection appears to have been controlled and, now 20 years later, is unlikely to recur, although such things have been reported.
4.  Again, after 20 years, this is not something I would worry about.

Another note of caution.  There is much uncertainty about HPV infections and when or why they do or do not recur.  Much of wart is said about HPV on the internet is incorrect or overblown.  Time is your friend here.  With no recurrence in 20 years, my best advice is to move forward.  EWH

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17 months ago
Thank you so much for the explanation. The reason I asked was more out of concern for my ability to fight off other high risk strains that I may have come in contact with after the wart situation. I recently found out an old boyfriend had been with someone right before me who ended up having abnormal paps. We had oral sex, not vaginal. (I do realize touching can cause spread as well.). I couldn’t help but wonder back to my wart situation and if my body would have fought this HPV off. From your explanation, it sounds like I am not to assume that my body struggled to fight it off. It’s been several years.  My paps are normal. I guess I wondered about pharyngeal cancer risk most due to oral exposure. I’m hoping this concern is something I can just put out of my mind. I thank you for your time. 
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
17 months ago
Your risk of oral HPV is very low.  I would not be worried.  EWH---
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17 months ago
Thank you Dr Hook. 
Have a great evening. 
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
17 months ago
Just one final comment in closing.  The risk of HPV from performing oral sex on someone is lower than he risk for acquiring HPV through genital sex.  Irrespective, like genital HPV, most persons who acquire HPV control/eliminate the infection within a year or two of acquistion.  Only a very small proportion of 1% of persons who do get oral HPV go one to develop cancer.  It is for this reason that I urge you not to worry.  

This ends this thread.  Take care.  Please don't worry.  EWH
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