[Question #4375] Genital warts - recurrence in different place; partner risk
28 months ago
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I was diagnosed with
Genital Warts 14 months ago (29 year old female). There were 2-3 couple around
my vulva, later a couple internally, and one inside my urethra.
I had them treated with cryotherapy
once, then laser twice, not because they were especially severe – all doctors
said it was quite minor – but because I have OCD and had become extremely obsessive,
staying in all day and checking with magnifying mirrors – and I decided to hand
all treatment, including checking for new warts, over to a professional, rather
than applying creams myself (I am working on the OCD issues with a therapist). One
month after first finding warts, all of the warts had gone. I had full gyne
examinations once a month for the next 4-5 months to confirm this, to stop me
from checking. I was also vaccinated (Gardasil 9), and have been taking really
good care of my immune system to the extent possible. Since then, I began a new
relationship, months ago, and have only had sex with him (protected penetrative
sex; unprotected oral sex). He knows I had warts in the past.
It’s now 13 months since
I had any active warts. I quickly shaved my pubic region on Friday. I have
thick curly hair and get ingrowns and shaving bumps regularly. The next
morning, I had the usual shaving bumps around my bikini line, including a
couple that looked like pimples with a yellow head, but also two much larger,
soft bumps in a different area, in the middle of the pubic hair on the mons
pubis (I also shaved here). They are round and very shiny, not flat, red/pink
and look like there could be a bit of fluid/pus inside. I see no signs of a
hair trapped inside. They don’t hurt at all. They don’t look like I remember
the warts (the warts were much smaller than these – although I don’t remember
them very well). As far as I remember, the warts never appeared in that
location.
I can’t get to a doctor
for about a week (and am pretty broke having spent so much money on this the
first time). I’ve been mentally in bits since finding them. How worried should
I be that this is a) a recurrence of the warts, or b) something else like
herpes?
I know you can’t diagnose
me, or offer the complete reassurance that my OCD wants. A part of me also
knows that if it’s the warts, and I haven’t cleared the infection, it’s disappointing
but not the end of the world. I just want to have some sense of whether it’s
probable that the warts, or something else, would come back in this way. My
boyfriend goes away for a month soon, and I also wonder if I should be
abstaining from sex in our last days together to protect him, or whether this
is my OCD out of control. I told him I found bumps that are likely something to
do with shaving, but that I’m worried they could be something else. He seems
unconcerned, and I don’t know whether, having informed him, to let him
decide/go ahead with having sex if he’s comfortable with the risk. Any
information you can give me would be appreciated.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
28 months ago
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