[Question #3781] Fear to pass GW (HPV) to my child

86 months ago

Hello Doctors,

I finally had my Genital Warts successfully removed by surgery in 2011, after a lengthy cryotherapy treatment of a few years. There has been no recurrence since this operation and all pap smear has been normal until today. Then I met my husband and gave birth. (I have developed a post natal OCD)

Since I had a child in 2015 I became so scared that I might infect my child through everyday life due to my past Genital Warts infection. I still need to wear gloves when I wash my genitals in the shower and wash hands so many times after visiting toilet. Everything takes long time and it’s getting very hard for me to live a normal life. Most of all, it’s so sad that I hesitate to touch my precious child.

Now I am desperate and decided to turn to you. Are any of these lifestyles/behaviours considered to be dangerous and could pass the virus onto my child or other family member?

1 To have a bath with my child in the same bath tub

2 To wash my child with the shower I used, without cleaning after me

3 To use the same toilet with my child, without cleaning every time after me

4 To take my child into the same booth with me in public toilets

5 To touch my child before washing hands in public toilets (i.e. airplanes)

6 To wash my clothes including underwear with my child’s clothes

7 My child’s hands or feet accidentally coming into contact with my genital area while bath time

8 To wash my genitals with bare hands (currently using gloves)

9 To wear the clothes or underwear (washed) from the time I was experiencing active warts

10 To wash hands ONCE ONLY after toilet with a NORMAL SOAP (not antibacterial)

Thank you in advance for your time and kind understanding about my situation. I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

86 months ago

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your confidence in our services.

While I understand your motivations, in particular your concern for your child's health, you are seriously over-worried about HPV in this regard. This is your OCD speaking (as I think you realize). Children rarely if ever catch their parents' genital HPV infections, even following the very intimate contacts and relationship that is natural between mother (or father) and child. Despite years of such close contact, in addition to sharing toilets, kitchens, eating utensils, etc, the kids remain free of HPV. (Occasional warts are a problem in some children, especially of the mouth and throat and sometimes around the genital area. But these result from massive exposure when the mother has active genital HPV when the baby is born by vaginal delivery, and not from personal contact after delivery or in the household.

I would also point out that your HPV infection of several years ago probably is gone. HPV is a bit mysterious, and sometimes HPV DNA persists in tissues for long periods, perhaps for life. But even in these cases, normally the immune system keeps it in check, to a point that warts or abnormal paps do not reappear and the virus cannot be transmitted to sex partners (and certainly not to children in the household). You can safely assume you no longer have an active, transmissible HPV infection. But even if you do, your child is not at risk.

Finally, every one of the kinds of contact you describe is risk free in regard to HPV -- even if you have an active infection, which you probably do not. You do not need to take any of the precautions you describe.

I hope these comments are helpful. However, it is in the nature of OCD that factual information of this sort usually doesn't help much. There's always a "yes but", "what if", or "could I be the exception" sort of question. That's why care for the OCD itself -- whether through counseling or, in some cases, drug therapy -- is usually the only answer to such concerns. If not in care for your OCD, that should be your next step. If you are involved in such care, I suggest printing out this thread as a framework for discussion with your provider. I'm confident she will agree with all I have said.

Best wishes to you. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

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86 months ago

Thank you so much for your quick reply. I couldn’t read properly with tears (of joy) as you have ensured that I can bathe with my child.

Yes my OCD condition is exactly how you have described and I am taking a medicine. There are good days and bad days but mostly my mind is filled with a fear.

It’s sad that I am treating myself as a living biohazard but at the same time I tell myself to be confident as I have dealt with the infection responsibly and been free from symptoms for over 6 years.

I would like to ask you a few more questions if that’s ok.

1. I met my husband after the surgery so he doesn’t know about it. There has been no recurrence for me and I doubt he ever has any symptoms. Do we have to use condoms or other precautions in terms of future HPV infection? We are not planning to have more children.

2. My child is almost 3 years old and she seems healthy so far. I didn’t inform my doctor about Genital Warts history and I don’t know if I had an outbreak at the time of delivery. Is there possibility that she has been infected by HPV through birth? I had a natural birth.

3. If my child climbs into our bed after we had sex, do we have to change sheets??

4. As the large majority of adults are being infected by this virus today, I can also live normally like them? I know no one is spending this much time washing hands or shower like me. Or those who ever have developed symptoms like me are exceptional and need to be extra careful because the virus is stronger even when it is dormant?

5. Genital HPV (any type) is inevitable in all sexually active people. Having such infections is a normal part of human sexuality. There is no point in worrying about it. --- Is this understanding correct? Would you say the same?

6. Now it is ok to leave it behind and move on? I would like to forget about it, get my normal life back and enjoy my baby and family if that is the right thing to do...

Your clarification would be much appreciated.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

86 months ago

1) For sure there is no need for condoms or other protection. Assuming typical past sexual histories, you both have been exposed to and probably infected with HPV, probably more than once. If couples in your situations always had to use condoms, it would apply to 90% of all married couples! Of course that's nonsense. Having HPV is normal and should not affect such decisions about sexual practices in monogamous couples.

2) Nobody can say the chance was zero, but it was close to it. Nothing to worry about.

3) Neither HPV nor any other STD can be transmitted by contact with contaminated bed clothes. Re-read the first paragraph of my reply above.

4) Again, you're no different than the 80-90% of the population that has had HPV

5) Exactly right.

6) For sure thsi is the right thing to do. Re-read all my replies and comments if you still have doubts!

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