[Question #51] HPV transmission risk
115 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
115 months ago
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Welcome to our site. Your question reflects a common concern but one for which there are not a great number of good answers. As a 37 YO male who has probably had other sex partners and a variety of different types of exposures over past years, it is highly likely that you have been exposed to HPV many times in the past and probably have already been infected with HPV (over 80% of sexually active persons have or have had HPV).. You state that your partner had abnormal PAP smears but this fact is not known to change the likelihood of HPV transmission if you were even susceptible. Further, while there are no good estimates as to the probability of transmission following any sort of single sexual exposure your risk is low -only a few percent at most. Further, risk of infection from receipt of oral sex tends to be lower than the risk of STI acquisition from participating in genital or rectal sex. Thus, in answer to your specific questions:
1. See above. The risk is very low, probably less than even a few percent. That you ejaculated does not change this.
2. The probability that she has oral infection at her age is low.
3. Repetitive question- see above.
4. Virtually zero.
5. I see no reason for you to not have normal, unprotected sex with your wife at this time.
6. Following a single injection of the HPV some but not all persons are protected from HPV. The amount of protection increased substantially to nearly 100% following the second injection.
7. These facts in no why change my assessment.
8. Your guilt is related to your infidelity and can best be addressed through being honest with your own wife. Many of our clients do not feel they can do this and just have to wait for the passage of time for their guilt to decline.
I hope these comments are helpful. Overall your risk for infection is very, very low and not something for you to worry about. EWH
115 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
115 months ago
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You were clear on your exposure. My answer is unchanged. this was a very, very low risk exposure for all of the reasons I mentioned (and will not repeat). there is no effective way to tell if your partner had HPV in her mouth but, even if she did, the exposure remains low risk.
At your age there is little meaningful benefit for you to take the HPV vaccine.
Just as for your partner, there is no good test for oral HPV for you.
My advice remains to do your best to not worry and to try to get over the guilt that you feel over your infidelity. What is done is done. EWH
115 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
115 months ago
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