You needn't be concerned, for several reasons. The kind of immune suppression caused by corticosteroids is not known to increase the risk of either acquiring HPV or having it progress or to be less well controlled by the immune system. People on very high dose steroid therapy for various reasons do not have a signficantly increased risk of HPV problems. Further, Nasocort is not systemically absorbed; its effect is strictly limited to the nose cavity. Swallowing a little bit also makes no difference; it is not absorbed from the GI tract. As for oral HPV and oral sex, it is true that throat cancer due to HPV 16 is on the rise. (Many sources refer broadly to oral cancer. In fact, only one kind -- squamous cell cancer of the pharynx -- is caused by HPV, and only by a single HPV type, HPV16.) However, it remains a rare cancer, far less common, for example, than lung, prostate, breast, and other cancers; and is not necessarily more frequent in people who regularly perform oral sex. Even among people who acquire HPV16 orally, the vast majority don't get cancer as a result. Nobody should avoid oral sex because of fear of oral cancer.

As for your relations with your current partner, of course she has (or has had) HPV. We all get it. You have it or have had it. At least 90% of all sexually active people get HPV, and HPV16 is among the most common types. Getting HPV, including the high risk (potentially cancer-causing) types is a normal, expected, unavoidable consequence of being sexually active. If you're under the usual age cut-off of 26 years, you can be vaccinated to prevent future infections with the 9 HPV types that cause most health problems, including HPV16 and six others that cause 90% of HPV-related cancers.

HPV DNA can be detected under the fingernails of people who have genital HPV infections. However, the virus is not believed to actively infect the fingers; they're just carrying virus because of contact of hands with genitals. There is no evidence that finger contact transmits HPV. Testing for HPV is routinely done in women along with pap smears, but there are no recommended, approved tests for HPV in men, either genital or oral cavity.

The bottom line is that there is no basis for feeling as distressed as you have been. You are no more at risk for HPV, genital or oral, than anyone else with an average dating life. If you're under age 26, get vaccinated. Otherwise, don't worry about it.

I hope this has helped, but let me know if anything isn't clear. Best wishes and happy new year--  HHH, MD

Your reply brought me great relief. 

I was very concerned because I thought that local immunosuppression would have impaired the ability of my body to clear the HPV infection of the throat. 

With regard to immunization, the vaccine offered in my country of residence is Gardasil for types 6, 11, 16, 18. Post exposure, I have went for my first course of vaccination, and would continue with the 2 remaining dosages over the next few months. In your opinion, would I have to add on the newer nonavalent vaccination on top of the quadrivalent vaccine that I am on?

Thank you again Professor. 

There indeed is no evidence that local steroids -- either oral inhalation, or if someone were using a steroid cream in the genital area -- increases risk of either catching HPV or activating a previous HPV infection, or of the immune system to clear HPV infection.

Anyway, I'm glad to hear the information has been helpful. Thanks for the thanks.

May I clarify what does recurrence of infection of types exposed before vaccination mean? Assuming that my body clears up the HPV infection (I hope), would I be immune to the type exposed? If there are risks of recurrences, would that be a call for concern? 

It sounds like you could use a basic tutorial about HPV infections. There are several excellent sources. You could start with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/std) and the sponsor of this forum, the American Sexual Health Association (http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/stdsstis/hpv/) (which includes a couple of educational videos I did for ASHA).