[Question #4097] HPV Concerns
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85 months ago
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I'm a male who recently found 2 very small genital warts (positive for hpv 6/11). I've been in a mutually monogamous relationship for 5 years so this has blindsided me (she is vaccinated). On top of that, I also have been recently diagnosed with OCD and was dealing with that prior to this so it has been an intensely stressful 6 months as my daily life went from fairly normal to debilitating- the hpv diagnosis has really taken me for a ride of intense worry and panic. I have been receiving so many conflicting answers from my GPs and the internet which is very frustrating.
My OCD is focusing on my worry of potentially having unknowingly infected past partners and 1 night stands and they will be going through the same psychological toll as me.
These are the first warts I have seen in my life but doctors have told me chances could be likely I had one a while ago and I never noticed it and it went away on its own- putting me in a tailspin of "have I been passing this on unknowingly for years?"
- How easy is it to pass on genital warts to a female's mouth/throat from oral sex? I know general female mouth/throat screening is not a normal "process" and the warts are so small and can blend in easily which may be so hard to find/treat- so this really scares me.
My OCD is focusing on my worry of potentially having unknowingly infected past partners and 1 night stands and they will be going through the same psychological toll as me.
These are the first warts I have seen in my life but doctors have told me chances could be likely I had one a while ago and I never noticed it and it went away on its own- putting me in a tailspin of "have I been passing this on unknowingly for years?"
- How easy is it to pass on genital warts to a female's mouth/throat from oral sex? I know general female mouth/throat screening is not a normal "process" and the warts are so small and can blend in easily which may be so hard to find/treat- so this really scares me.
- I have read that you cannot pass on warts via shared towels but does that include shower towels that you have been used to directly dry your genitals? I have read about fomite research that has put me into question.
Thank you Doctors for this incredible service. Life has been a tough go lately, I appreciate the help.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
85 months ago
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Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.
90% of more of all people get genital HPV, and genital warts probably occur in 15-30% of all persons at one time or another. Your situation isn't unusual;, and it should be viewed as a temporary inconvenience, not an important health threat. Everybody gets HPV. That you happen to have been diagnosed (most infections cause no symptoms, never are diagnosed, and clear up on their own) doesn't change the risks for past partners. In other words, they are at no higher risk because of sex with you than they would have been anyway. Your OCD is the main problem here: you have no responsibility and shouldn't be worried about your past sexual partners. It is also possible your warts were not due to a new HPV infection -- in other words, I agree with your doctor that they could have originated with a distant past infection.
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90% of more of all people get genital HPV, and genital warts probably occur in 15-30% of all persons at one time or another. Your situation isn't unusual;, and it should be viewed as a temporary inconvenience, not an important health threat. Everybody gets HPV. That you happen to have been diagnosed (most infections cause no symptoms, never are diagnosed, and clear up on their own) doesn't change the risks for past partners. In other words, they are at no higher risk because of sex with you than they would have been anyway. Your OCD is the main problem here: you have no responsibility and shouldn't be worried about your past sexual partners. It is also possible your warts were not due to a new HPV infection -- in other words, I agree with your doctor that they could have originated with a distant past infection.
To your specific questions:
1) Oral warts are rare. Asymptomatic oral HPV infections can occur, but they rarely cause any recognized health problem and are cleared by the immune system. This isn't something that should cause worry.
2) HPV is only passed by sex with an infected person. Not only are towels or shared clothing (e.g. bathing suits) not a risk, but neither are showers, shared toilet seats, or any other form of exposure to the virus in the environment. Only by sex. That HPV might be identified on fomites doesn't mean they are necessarily a source of infection. Similarly, HPV can be routinely found under the fingernails of people with genital HPV, but hand contact with other persons never transmits infection, as far as we know.
As noted above, HPV is generally a minor health issue. Don't let this throw you. Look around at your friends, co-workers, etc: almost all have (or have had) genital HPV. With uncommon exceptions, it doesn't seriously affect there livfes and it shouldn't be a big deal in yours. Deal with your OCD, perhaps with professional counseling. But don't let that inflate HPV in your mind. It's just not that big a deal.
Thanks for the thanks about our services. Let me know if anything isn't clear.
HHH, MD
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
85 months ago
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It is true that HPV, whether a wart-causing type or not, can be transmitted without symptoms.
The 6 month estimate is just that: clinical experience suggests that once warts have cleared up (either on their own or with treatment), if there has been no recurrence by 6 months, probably the virus is gone and transmission to partners is unlikely. But there are no precise data on this. Sometimes the infection is gone in a few weeks, and in other cases it can be many months or even a couple of years. In other words, the answer to your question is yes, at 6 months "most likely" the the virus has been cleared. But there is no way to be certain. However, this shouldn't concern you at all, at least not in regard to sex with your regular partner. Having had regular sex with you, for sure she already has been repeatedly exposed to your HPV infection, and having been vaccinated, she probably is immune to the HPV causing your warts. In any case, if she hasn't developed warts or other HPV related problems by now, she never will. So don't worry at all about whether your HPV is persisting: it doesn't matter!
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85 months ago
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Hi Dr Handsfield,
Last question. I read the fingernail study from
UW and it makes me really worry as it states it’s a possible mode of transmission. It just makes me worry about being afraid to be playing with my baby niece or passing it on to people through hand contact if it is underneath my fingernails. Can you help clarify that study?
Thanks
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
85 months ago
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Don't confuse biology, and theoretical possibilities for transmission, with actual risk. Yes, HPV is commonly found under the fingernails of infected persons. However, nobody ever shows up in STD clinics with genital warts who did not have intercourse with an infected or potentially infected partner. Nobody with warts or HPV infection ever gives a history of hand-genital contact as their only possible exposure. So if HPV under the fingernails can actually be a source of infection, it is very, very rare. In other words, simple presence of HPV generally is not enough to permit transmission. This is the same reason that shared clothing, towels, or toilet seats are not sources of transmission. The virus can be found in all these locations, but transmission is not a risk. In all these cases, the amount of HPV probably just isn't enough to allow transmission.
In other words, these are theoretical sources of transmission, but if they actually occur in the real world, they are extremely rare. This is nothing to worry about. If you do not have sex with an infected person, you will not get genital HPV. Period. Believe it and do your best to move on.
That concludes this thread. I hope the discussion has been helpful.
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