I have a question I'm hoping you can help me with.  On 10/19, I performed unprotected oral sex on someone.   On 11/8, I noticed a growth on my uvula.  I don't know how long it had been there, but I'm guessing it appeared a few days before.   It looks like a little sack that is attached to the uvula via a stalk or small piece of tissue, as I can move it around.   What are the chances this is HPV related?   I had previously also been sick with a virus, so this is complicating the diagnosis for me.

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.---

Thank you for your reply, Dr. Handsfield.  Neither my primary care physician or dentist are sure what it is - when I mentioned papilloma to them, they both said it was possible but didn't seem convinced (I didn't tell them the timeline I mentioned earlier).  I am going to an ENT on January 4 to have it removed.   In the meantime, should I worry about sharing drinks with others, deep kissing, etc?  I just want to make sure I don't endanger anyone.

I think this is the right approach. Even though your doctor and dentist "weren't sure", their judgment or guess about the cause would be better than mine; they have seen it and I haven't. If they think a wart is likely, then until you see the ENT doc, I would suggest avoiding open-mouth kissing or oral sex on partners. (These would be low risk, just being extra safe.) But no risk from social kissing, sharing eating or drinking utensils etc. (Of course there are other reasons to avoid those things when practical -- it's cold season, after all!)---

So, I went to the ENT today.  He believes it is an oral wart caused by HPV and removed it, but is sending it off for a biopsy.  Dr. Handsfield, what precautions do I need to take?  I am pretty crushed by this news.

This really shouldn't be a cause for great worry, even if the biopsy confirms a wart. It is very unlikely you will ever have a serious complication of oral HPV or that you will be a risk to future sex partners. If a wart is confirmed, to be maximally safe for others I would advise continuing to avoid sexual (open mouth) kissing or performing oral sex for the next 3-4 months. If no new warts have appeared at that time, I think you can resume those practices. With these precautions, there is no need to mention this to future sex partners.---

Thanks Dr. Handsfield.  Does having oral HPV mean you have it genitally as well?

At any point in time, 20-50% of sexually active young adults (age 15-25) have genital HPV, of whom roughly 10-15% also have oral HPV (usually without oral warts or other symptoms). So in that sense, your situation is quite common. Probably most people with oral HPV also have genital HPV, but I'm sure there are many exceptions. Unless you have visible genital warts, there is no way to know with certainty. In the absence of visible evidence of infection, in my view you need not say anything to current or future sex partners. However, some might disagree and recommend informing partners. But not indefinitely -- only a few months, after which you can assume your immune system will have cleared the virus.---