[Question #329] perspective on HPV
105 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
105 months ago
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Welcome to our Forum. I will try to help. Sometimes ready access to the information available on the internet can be a bit of a problem as the perspective is sometimes a bit skewed and tends to include either mis-information or statements that are a bit over dramatic. Information about HPV is a classic example of this. I will provide my perspective, first with some general comments and subsequently regarding your specific situation.
General comments first. HPV is not something to be greatly concerned about. Over 85% of adults have or have had HPV and monogamy offers little reduction in risk, if any. Its consequences are negligible for most people (less than 1% go on to complications such as dysplasia or cancer) and the vast majority go away without consequence. Most infections are acquired when persons are young, within a decade of the onset of sexual activity. Transmission is poorly understood but contact does least to transmission and can be accelerated with abrasion and/or more friction. Despite this, most exposures to partners of known status, even without protection do not lead to transmission. So called high risk (they really are not all that high risk - see comment above) are about as common as the low risk types but infection with either or even both is common in the general population.
In your own case it is now five months since your exposure. If you were going to develop visible (low risk warts, they would be evident by now in nearly all instances. Your protective behaviors and the statistics seem to have protected you. My advice is that you can now move forward without concern and have unprotected sex with your wife. You did the right thing by getting tested after your a rather low risk (because of protective steps you took) exposure and should not worry further. I hope my comments will help you to do this. EWH
105 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
105 months ago
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105 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
105 months ago
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105 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
105 months ago
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104 months ago
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