[Question #13443] Non sexual transmission of HPV
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16 hours ago
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Licensed cosmologists here. I had a Brazilian Wax client come in - she had what appeared to be a skin tag on her pubic area. I thought nothing of it while waxing her until my wrist grazed over it with my bare skin…*unintentionally where the glove ends*
Now I can’t get out of my head if she potentially has HPV? Am I at risk here ? Do skin tags and Genital warts appear differently?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
8 hours ago
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Welcome back to the Forum. Thanks for your continuing confidence in our service. Warts and skin tags look different. Skin tags really look like tags while warts are more firmly attached to the skin and have a cauliflower appearance. More importantly for your question, non-sexual transmission of warts is quite rare and simply touching a wart, if that is what the lesion was, would not put you at risk. Further, genital warts would not be likely to be transmitted to the skin of your wrist- they preferentially infect genial and anal skin following DIRECT sexual contact.
I would not worry about this event. If you remain worried about warts, as I recommended to you nearly 2 years ago I would suggest getting the HPV vaccine. It is highly effective and safe, preventing infection with about 95% of the HPV infections that cause genital warts as well as most of the HPV types that cause abnormal PAP smears. EWH
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3 hours ago
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So even by accidentally touching it with my wrist and it was a genital wart, I am at no risk correct? I should put all worries aside? Thank you for the recommendation on getting the HPV vaccine, would it be ideal to get it today?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
1 hours ago
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Correct. No risk at all.
You can begin your vaccination process at any time that is convenient. EWH
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