I know it is not in your policy but if possible I will prefer an MD answer. Hello i am French gay man living in the US for two years. I am currently in Italy and I noticed a little bump near my anus. I've been there to an MD he told me it was a genital wart with no cancer risk. He freezed it and told me to verify because it can come back and need another freeze session. I was ok with that. Because I never had an std I asked him how it was spread. He told me it was an HPV, a std by contact but because I have a wart it was highly contagious even with towels, my hands, surfaces .... I told him a was living with my 7 years old little girl and he told me that she has a great risk to become infected. From that day  I am completely crazy and anxious I can't even sleep. I've done research in internet and I read a lot of different opinions. So I prefer to ask real profesionals. Can I infect my girl with towels, with my hands, with ustensiles, surfaces. I am so afraid she got hpv and somebody take her from me for sexual assault. I hope your answer will calm me. Thank you so much for your help. 

Welcome to our forum. Thanks for your questions. Dr. Handsfield and I answer all questions related to HIV and STDs other than herpes which are answered by Mrs. Warren.  We are both positions of work together for more than 35 years.  I’ll be glad to comment.---

Thank you doctor for your answer which I carefully read. But I am a bit surprised because you tell me it's a rare risk and even to avoid sharing towels but visiting your forum I read answers about the same risks (sharing towels, day care, shower....) and Dr Hunter Hansfield says that HPV is NEVER transmitted by towels or other things. Only by sexual contact. Can you explain me the difference between your two answers.

I'm sorry if my reply was confusing.  Dr. Handsfield and I are in agreement- there are no proven instances in which shared towels have led to the transmission of HPV.  On the other hand, in science you can never say never- there are all too often exceptions.  In large studies of HPV epidemiology, the are a tiny fraction cases of HPV which are not clearly associated with sexual contact.  If transmission on inanimate objects were possible (again, one can never say never), then sharing of towels would be a stron cadidate for these rare transmission events.  Inmy reading of your question, my sense is that you were worried and wish to take every precaution.  In such settings, the only recommendation I have to prevent non-sexual transmission would be to avoid sharing towels.  As I also indicated, I really do not think you need to worry.  ---

Ok I understand your point of view between real risk and theorical risk. I have a last question if I have condylomas inside my mouth can a little peck, I mean a little dry kiss on my daughter lips is a risk for her to acquire hpv? Thank you.

First, presuming you are seen from time to time by a dentist, if you had a condyloma in your mouth, your dentist would have identified it.  Irrespective however, warts are transmitted by DIRECT contact with the wart.  A wart in your mouth would not be transmitted by a kiss on the lips.---

Thank you doctor for your help. Sincerely