[Question #12063] HPV Advice
 |
10 months ago
|
46m married 49f in US 25+ yrs w kids Both had prev partners before marriage in our young adult years. Her paps were always normal until recently w abnormal pap & HPV+ She's now accusing me of cheating. I've gone down a rabbit hole just looking up info on the Internet & needed clarification
1. Advice to reassure my wife that it couldn't necessarily be of cheating & that it could be a past partner
2. Is Dormant HPV real for years & decades? Obgyn said she sees it all the time like every day.
3. Would the vaccine even beneficial to us given we're both over 45?
4. Do most HPV infections really clear 1-2 years?
5. Any reason how it randomly appeared almost into her 50s?
6. Should we stop having sex given her test results?
7. Are we close in developing effective treatments/therapies to target HPV? or at least reliable tests for men? i feel sad that there's not a test & that I could have it & passed it to her.
8. Any last minute advice to ease her & mine during this stressful time?
Thanks Docs!
 |
Edward W. Hook M.D.
10 months ago
|
Welcome to our Forum. Thanks for your questions. I'm sorry that your wife has this misunderstanding about HPV infections. I'll do my best to help. I'll go directly to your questions:
---
1. Advice to reassure my wife that it couldn't necessarily be of cheating & that it could be a past partner
Most experts agree that a diagnosis of HPV does not necessarily mean that the infection was required recently. HPV infections go through periods in which they are non-detectable and then recur. The U.S. CDC states - • "Partners tend to share HPV, and it is not possible to
determine which partner transmitted the original
infection. Having HPV does not mean that a person or
his or her partner is having sex outside the relationship..." This quote reflects nearly all expert assessment. What is found on the internet on this topic is all too often misleading.
2. Is Dormant HPV real for years & decades? Obgyn said she sees it all the time like every day.
Correct. Reactivation is relative rare but since so very many persons have had HPV we see it regularly.
3. Would the vaccine even beneficial to us given we're both over 45?
Unless one of you anticipates no longer being monogamous, there is little proven benefit to HPV vaccination. You have already be exposed on each other and that will continue.
4. Do most HPV infections really clear 1-2 years?
Most do but not all (about 2-3% persist). That however is unrelated to the phenomenon of late occasional recurrence of the sort that has likely occurred here.
5. Any reason how it randomly appeared almost into her 50s?
No
6. Should we stop having sex given her test results?
Absolutely not. You have exposed each other to one another. There is need to adopt protection at this time.
7. Are we close in developing effective treatments/therapies to target HPV? or at least reliable tests for men? i feel sad that there's not a test & that I could have it & passed it to her.
I appreciate your frustration. The research is a priority and ongoing.
8. Any last minute advice to ease her & mine during this stressful time?
See above. In addition, I would suggest that you and your partner review other threads on our Forum which describe the tendency of HPV infections acquired long ago to recur.
Certainly your partner's current positive test results in no way suggest infidelity on your part. EWH
I hope this information is helpful. In addition, if it would be helpful, I suggest your partner Google "Is a positive HPV test a sign of infidelity. The hundreds of responses will conform all that I say. EWH
|
10 months ago
|
Thank you Dr Hook! Very helpful. I am very reassured from your advice. Just a few follow Q's & general Q's if you don't mind.
1. RE: the vaccine, I read online that it might help with "current infections" & that's why ppl who test + often still get it. Is there any truth to that?
2. If an urinalysis is done & abnormal epithelial cell count are found, is there a high probability of an abnormal pap &/or HPV+? I read a few people mention it in another forum. I also read that urine based HPV tests might be possible in the future.
3. If I did get infected with HPV in my younger years & it goes dormant for 10-20+years, and it reactivates could my immune system end up clearing it this time around if it's strong enough. Also, if I had multiple strains of HPV and they went dormant, would all strains go dormant or just some?
4. When was HPV testing first available in the US? I feel like during my wife's annual paps, they haven't offered it until maybe within the last 3-5 years. Also, i know it varies, but do Obgyn's who deliver the news of abnormal test results, do they educate them on HPV (like dormancy, transmission, etc) i feel women go down a rabbit hole also given a + diagnosis. My wife's obgyn didn't really educate & just gave the news.
5. Lastly, about transmission, is skin-to-skin enough to transfer HPV or does it typically enter via cuts, tears & abrasions? Also, what's the statistical transmission rate per sexual act to male to female & vice versa?
Thanks again for your advice! It's been tough, but I'm trying to get more educated on the topic! Thanks!
1. RE: the vaccine, I read online that it might help with "current infections" & that's why ppl who test + often still get it. Is there any truth to that?
2. If an urinalysis is done & abnormal epithelial cell count are found, is there a high probability of an abnormal pap &/or HPV+? I read a few people mention it in another forum. I also read that urine based HPV tests might be possible in the future.
3. If I did get infected with HPV in my younger years & it goes dormant for 10-20+years, and it reactivates could my immune system end up clearing it this time around if it's strong enough. Also, if I had multiple strains of HPV and they went dormant, would all strains go dormant or just some?
4. When was HPV testing first available in the US? I feel like during my wife's annual paps, they haven't offered it until maybe within the last 3-5 years. Also, i know it varies, but do Obgyn's who deliver the news of abnormal test results, do they educate them on HPV (like dormancy, transmission, etc) i feel women go down a rabbit hole also given a + diagnosis. My wife's obgyn didn't really educate & just gave the news.
5. Lastly, about transmission, is skin-to-skin enough to transfer HPV or does it typically enter via cuts, tears & abrasions? Also, what's the statistical transmission rate per sexual act to male to female & vice versa?
Thanks again for your advice! It's been tough, but I'm trying to get more educated on the topic! Thanks!
|
Edward W. Hook M.D.
10 months ago
|
Straight to your follow-up questions:
2. If an urinalysis is done & abnormal epithelial cell count are found, is there a high probability of an abnormal pap &/or HPV+? I read a few people mention it in another forum. I also read that urine based HPV tests might be possible in the future.
3. If I did get infected with HPV in my younger years & it goes dormant for 10-20+years, and it reactivates could my immune system end up clearing it this time around if it's strong enough. Also, if I had multiple strains of HPV and they went dormant, would all strains go dormant or just some?
4. When was HPV testing first available in the US? I feel like during my wife's annual paps, they haven't offered it until maybe within the last 3-5 years. Also, i know it varies, but do Obgyn's who deliver the news of abnormal test results, do they educate them on HPV (like dormancy, transmission, etc) i feel women go down a rabbit hole also given a + diagnosis. My wife's obgyn didn't really educate & just gave the news.
5. Lastly, about transmission, is skin-to-skin enough to transfer HPV or does it typically enter via cuts, tears & abrasions? Also, what's the statistical transmission rate per sexual act to male to female & vice versa?
1. RE: the vaccine, I read online that it might help with "current infections" & that's why ppl who test + often still get it. Is there any truth to that?
Limited data suggest that the HPV vaccine may enhance the resolution of persons with current infections due to an HPV type contained in the vaccine. These data, while suggestive and hopeful are tentative. Certainly there is no harm to older persons or persons with HPV getting vaccinated.
2. If an urinalysis is done & abnormal epithelial cell count are found, is there a high probability of an abnormal pap &/or HPV+? I read a few people mention it in another forum. I also read that urine based HPV tests might be possible in the future.
No, the cells seen on urinalysis test are typically not tested for HPV and represent cells from the urinary tract, not from the vaginal or cervix which is where HPV infections occur in women.
3. If I did get infected with HPV in my younger years & it goes dormant for 10-20+years, and it reactivates could my immune system end up clearing it this time around if it's strong enough. Also, if I had multiple strains of HPV and they went dormant, would all strains go dormant or just some?
Yes. Nearly all HPV infections become non-detectable over a period of 1-2 years after acquistion of infection.
4. When was HPV testing first available in the US? I feel like during my wife's annual paps, they haven't offered it until maybe within the last 3-5 years. Also, i know it varies, but do Obgyn's who deliver the news of abnormal test results, do they educate them on HPV (like dormancy, transmission, etc) i feel women go down a rabbit hole also given a + diagnosis. My wife's obgyn didn't really educate & just gave the news.
HPV testing has been available to American OB/GYNs for more than a decade. Explanation of the ins and outs of infection, its significance and management is sometimes not well discussed by busy OB/GYNs. A good strategy is to learn about the infection from a reputable source (i.e. NOT the Internet but a source such as the CDC or the HPV portion of ASHA, the sponsors of this service). After learning about the infection from such sites, one can approach their OB/GYN with specific questions.
Alternatively, you may learn answers to some of your questions by reviewing our replies to other questions about HPV on this site. We make them available for educational purposes- all you need to do is look through the site. The titles of the questions often will tell you what is being discussed
5. Lastly, about transmission, is skin-to-skin enough to transfer HPV or does it typically enter via cuts, tears & abrasions? Also, what's the statistical transmission rate per sexual act to male to female & vice versa?
Friction such as with sexual intercourse does promote HPV transmission for common, very day skin-to-skin contact rarely if ever leads to HPV transmission. Further not all skin surfaces are equally susceptible to acquistion of HPV, The thin, sensitive skin of the genital tract is more susceptible to the HPV strains which cause genital infections.
You have one follow-up remaining. EWH
---