[Question #3078] Watts and future outlook

92 months ago

Dear Dr Handsfield and Hook,

I hope you are both well and thanks for the opportunity to speak to an expert in this area.

My questions surround the future, not necessarily disclosure, as I understand your reasoning there a bit more clearly re most people have it in some form etc. but my question is more moving forward how I proceed and the future outlook. I was recently diagnosed with warts, I had 1 larger but still small one and then once noticed, I noticed 4 tiny ones which with treatment seem to be dissapearing. My question is, if they go and I have no recurrences for 3 - 6 months A) what are my chances of them recurring (I'm generally a healthy male who exercises regularly and eats well)? B) what are the odds I will infect a future partner, will I always be contagious? C) if my girlfriend is infected and clears like expected, what are the odds they will re appear in pregnancy, is this likely or unlikely?

Many thanks for the service, it is appreciated.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

92 months ago

Welcome to the forum and thanks for your question, as well as for looking as past exchanges for the information they provide.

I'll go straight to your questions.

1. If your warts resolve with therapy there about a 20% chance that they will recur over the next 3-6 months. If they have not recurred by then, I would not worry about further recurrence or transmission of that infection n to others.

2. The issue of continued contagiousness to others following resolution of infection due to either therapy or if they resolve on their own is still debated but most experts would tell you that, following resolution of infection you are no longer infectious to others.

3. This is a double "what if" question but, if your GFWere infected and her infection recurred, there would be little chance of recurrence during pregnancy.

I hope this information is helpful to you. EWH

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92 months ago

Firstly, thank you for your response and secondly apologies for the spelling mistake in the title.

I guess my follow up question would be... Is there a percentage or an estimated percentage of warts which recur or are transmitted to future partners after treatment and no recurrence for 6 months?

Or is it so unlikely instead of looking for a number just accept that they will eventually go away forever over the next year or two and it will become extremely unlikely that they will either come back or that I will be contagious and i should try and forget about it?

91 months ago

Sorry to ask another before you come back? Is the gardasil vaccine worth it for me do you think? I mean in the sense of it's not going to cause any harm, e.g. make symptoms worse for my current infection? Just thinking re the prevention of the other 3 strains?

Edward W. Hook M.D.

91 months ago

Sorry for missing your earlier follow-up question. Most warts that recur following treatment do so in 3-6 months following initial resolution. If warts have not recurred in that interval, the chance that they will is quite low. OTOH, I would not worry about being contagious. As we have said many times before on this Forum, for persons who have not had the HPV vaccine, HPV infections are so common that it is simply not worth worrying about- over 80% of unvaccinated U.S. adults have HPV. Conversely, the HPV vaccine is highly effective and persons who are vaccinated are well protected from infection with the most common HPV types. Thus worrying about HPV transmission following diagnosis of infection is not a good use of most people's time.

With respect to the vaccine, insurance companies typically pay for it up to age 26 simply because by that time, if a person is unvaccinated, it is likely they are infected and will not benefit from the vaccination. The vaccine works slightly less well as people age (this is true for all vaccines) but it is not harmful to receive it. Over age 26 most persons would need to pay for it themselves however- the cost is typically in the neighborhood of $500.00-$600.00.

I hope this is helpful information. EWH

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91 months ago

Thank you Dr Hook for answering my questions, my final questions would be. Is it still believed that it is due to changes in immune system (not a cough or cold per se, but a serious change?) why the virus would re activate just like any other virus such as chicken pox, or something else? And eventually all warts do go away for good?

Edward W. Hook M.D.

91 months ago

There remains some controversy about the persistence of HPV in the body after the infection has cleared (either on its own or due to therapy). Most experts however agree that the virus can persist for long periods and if a person looses immune function, the virus can recur. That said, other than in immunocompromised persons, virtually all warts do go away on their own.

Take care. EWH

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91 months ago

Many thanks. I would just like to say on behalf of everyone who has used this service what a godsend you and Dr Handsfield are. When first diagnosed the nurse in the gum clinic told me info which turned out to be largely incorrect and I have spent a long time believing it and tbh very down about life in general and the future. Even now I have to remind myself this is nowhere near as serious as I originally thought. Her info caused me to lose my girlfriend and alienate a lot of friends. I'm sure you guys have 100s of people tell you this, but without this site, the medhelp site and all your hard work, research and care there would be a lot of people out there unable to move on with their lives after this diagnosis, which as you have pointed out with knowledge of the actual facts is a sad and frankly unnecessary outcome. With that said and no more further questions I hope you both had a great Christmas and have a fantastic 2018!!

Edward W. Hook M.D.

91 months ago

Thanks for your thanks. It validates us in the reasons we work on the site. Happy holidays to you as well. EWH---