My current symptoms are throat pain, anal, and penile discomfort.  Changes in skin color on the head of my circumcised penis.  Lymphnodes discomfort and swelling in my neck, armpits and groin.  Soreness on the soles of my feet and pans of my hands. Painful bumps on my wrists and inside the crooks of my elbows. I’m scheduled for a PET/CT scan next week as I’m concerned that some of my symptoms having graduated to cancer(s). I tell you this to give you an idea of the virility of types I may have.

A few facts about HPV might be helpful.  Most (over 80%) sexually active adults have HPV infection unless they have received the HPV vaccine (have you?).  In most patients the HPV infections are asymptomatic, even if there are visible warts present.  In a very small % (about 1%) of persons with HPV, over a period of years/decades the infection may progress to cause cancer.  Even in these situations, the cancers are asymptomatic for years.  Progression to cancer is slightly more common with certain types of HPV (such as HPV 16) but even in these people, less than 2-3% of infections go on to cause cancer with most of the infections resolving on there own without treatment. 

While HPV infections can cause visible or even discolored lesions, they remain asymptomatic and do not cause generalized lymph node swelling, rashes of the sort you describe, or soreness in the hands and/or feet.  

Your symptoms certainly do deserve further evaluation and a PET scan may be the right thing to do.  I trust that you have a primary care doctor who is coordinating your care.  For matters of this sort is is best to have a single main physician coordinating your care so that over time they can monitor any progression or other problems which recur.

Bottom line- what you describe in no way sounds like HPV or an HPV-related problem.   I hope this comment and information is helpful.  

I’m not vaccinated. I have engaged in protected sex with prostitutes since 2013. In that time I had one occasion when I made unprotected oral to vaginal contact for approximately 10 seconds.  And one occasion it appeared I had a mixture of his and her fluids after removing a condom.

In closing…my concern for HPV is due to the locations of my symptoms…all these areas that I’ve read are typically involved in advanced infections.  That is: Throat, penis and anus as well as lumps on hands, palms and soles of feet.  In addition, my 63 year old partner has the dry throat with flem and intermittent cough for more than a year. Recently remarked about a painful “pimple” located between her vagina and anus and has out of the blue developed trigger finger in her thumb. 

I’m hopeful your opinion remains unchanged. 

And if you could please reiterate your opinion regarding the length of time that may have passed since initial infection and if the type of infection makes a difference. 

Thank you.

As far as the natural history of HPV is concerned, these infections are virtually always asymptomatic, even when they cause visible warts.  In the tiny proportion of persons who progress to cancers, the lesions again are typically asymptomatic and grow very slowly.  In most persons HPV infections resolve spontaneously without treatment over a year or two.  In those in who the infections progress, this process can take years or even decades.  Thigh lesions due to HPV are also very unusual.  Rather this is an area where other conditions such as benign skin tags or folliculitis may occur.  

My sense is that you have been searching the internet for information about your problem.  Please be careful in following this course. The internet is unfiltered and much of what is there is out of date, take out of context, misinterpreted or just plain wrong.  There is no good way to discern what is true and what is not.  I encourage you to pursue your questions with your doctor, not through the internet.

I hope this comment is helpful. EWH

When my symptoms were in their early stages I initially noticed the stinging sensation on the tip of my penis which prompted me to rule out a UTI.  This has me concerned it was an indication that warts had begun growing in my urethra. Could this explain why my groin area became inflamed and my urination  and ejaculation flows were impacted?  

I do have a small area to the skin on the head of my penis (reddish blotchiness and when magnified appear raised) and what appear as a small cluster, (2-3) wart like growths in the crease of my groin.  And of course the previously mentioned lightening of the skin in places with moderately defined borders. I also can see some whitish colored tissue about 3-4 mm inside the  tip of my urethra when I open it.  It does sting when I urinate and itches (rarely)  for a brief period on some days.  I do experience pain if I manipulate the underside of my penis with my finger tips as well.

My thought process is that I became infected when I discovered what I felt was a mixture of semen and a vaginal fluids on and around my penis after sex. I wiped it up and then proceeded to clean with an antiseptic wipe. I unfortunately did get the antiseptic into my urethra during this time.  I am 58 now and my girlfriend is 63.  Both very healthy leading up to this. We’ve been sexually exclusive since 2018 and I’m concerned that our immune systems being not that of young people and the possibility of reinfection by engaging in sexual contact together could be giving the virus a foothold.  As I’ve said, she has a very concerning sounding congestion of her throat causing her to repeatedly clear her throat increasing in frequency and intensity with occasional brief coughing spells since this all began in mid 2019.  Her throat sounds very much like what I am experiencing with mine.

These above concerns along with the feeling in my hands and soles of my feet that planters warts or bumps could be forming under the skin there.  Rectal issues including occasional tickling or itching, and the dry eye  leave me remaining alarmed.    I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts on my condition in light of what I’ve just reported here.

Thank you.

As I have already said on several occasions, HPV and Ward infections are asymptomatic. They do not cause tingling, even on the rare occasion when they occur within the urethra.

The description of the discoloration you have noted on the head of your penis is not a description typical of warts or HPV infection. Similarly, the lesions that you described in your groin are in uncommon location for warts but a common location for skin tags or folliculitis. Obviously, I cannot make a diagnosis over the Internet and would not attempt to try. I would suggest that you have a dermatologist take a look. My guess is that the dermatologist can give you a specific an accurate diagnosis and that it will not be HPV.

Most sexually active adults do or have had HPV infection. I suspect you and your partner are amongst those individuals. That said in the vast majority of patients these infections are merely a nuisance and there are well described steps available to evaluate HPV infections and, if appropriate, treat them.

The lesions described on the soles of your feet likewise do not sound like a general wart infections. Different, non-genital types of HPV virus do cause lesions called plantar warts but what you described really does not sound like that either. If you access the dermatologist, you should have them take a look at these lesions as well.

This will conclude this thread. My sincere advice is to not worry that the problems you’ve described above are due to HPV. As I have already also said, I think systematically evaluating this in the fashion that your own physician has already initiated is a good idea. I would not worry however that they are due to HPV. This ends this thread. Take care. I wish you well. EWH