[Question #8551] HPV likelihood

42 months ago

Dear doctors, based on various interactions with you and reading forum, I have slowly gained confidence and pulled myself back to convince HPV likelyhood from my low/no risk events is nil. Thanks for that!I just wanted to check of few things (hopefully my last concerns).

Background: I have couple of non growing small sore like projection in my throat and mild grey patch on mouth roof(probably only less and in front half( for about 3 ish weeks. Sometimes it disturbs my sleep by causing cough. And because of a personal situation (minor surgery elsewhere in my body) and ongoing covid scare it will be at least a week or 2 before I get this examined at an ENT in person.

In the meanwhile I wanted to check oral HPV possibility from you.

1. 3 months back, I fingered a masseuse (no full insertion) but on her thin small underwear which just covered her vagina. I read in this forum somewhere HPV DNA lives on nails. I'm little worried if such scenario happened in my case. Although I washed my hands multiple times what is the possibility I carried it finger nails and then to my mouth while eating food via my hand or mouth touching with my hands. Is HPV DNA on finger nails a rare occurrence or will happen always for anyone doing fingering or anyone with genital HPV?

2. You clarified quite a few times that closed lip kissing is a no risk even for HPV but because of the symptoms my mind is asking some tough questions and look forward to your valuable opinion. Given HPV is skin to skin transmission, why is kissing unlikely to transmit? My guess is lips are not like genital or throat skin which is conducive for HPV to grow. Lips are more like hand or other skin areas which are not oral HPV friendly. Is this assumption correct? I have few closed lip kissing rom 2-3 years back with 3-4 masseuse. And one slightly medium kissing event (not full French) but little bit tongue involved for 3 seconds.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

42 months ago

How unfortunate that you are unable to put you unwarranted and unjustified concerns behind you. Your questions are repetitive variations of your earlier questions. The answers are not going to change. Persons who repeatedly ask anxiety-driven questions risk having their questions closed without a response and without return of their posting fee. I’m going to provide brief responses below:

1. I believe you have misremembered what you read. HPV is not transmitted on hands OR fingernails. The scenario you describe is implausible

2. Your questions are only “tough” because you make them so. Different HPV viruses tend to infect certain types of skin. As you point out, the skin of the lips not hospitable to HPV.

EWH

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42 months ago

Thank you Dr. Hook! I managed to move past my genital HPV worry because I recently underwent circumcision and my symptoms are improving plus thanks to you and Dr. Hansfield clarifications mine were no risk events (just praying never in future I develop any symptoms, I have stopped such activities). Here just trying to rule out last couple concerns regarding oral HPV.

Thanks for clarity on HPV and lips. I am putting those episodes behind me once for all!!!

Regarding finger nail, there were some mentions like the below

Dr. Hansfield - Qn: 4097

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.

Dr. Terri - Qn: 3301

We know that HPV can be found in all sorts of places - under fingernails, for example.

Dr. Hansfield - Qn: 3406

I'll just add that hand-genital contact is risk free for all STDs, including HPV (regardless of finding HPV DNA under fingernails -- presence of DNA doens't necessarily mean transmissibility).

In spirit, what I understood was fingernails could contain may be DNA or small samples of HPV but they can never transmit or cause problems. Just 1 last verification I needed was from my fingering event mentioned (fingering over their super small underpants, once and once only!), can I assume it's highly unlikely even such small samples/DNA stay in my finger nail after washing my hands? I am really sorry if these come across anxiety driven to you, I assure you I am really, really trying hard to move on and almost there and just unfortunate timing of couple of symptoms in my body rekindled the correctness of my understanding about the virus (which was, genital-genital contact or penetration is genital HPV risk and oral sex is oral HPV risk). And I sincerely appreciate your taking time in providing these clarity! And Thank you!!

Edward W. Hook M.D.

42 months ago

You are correct. You do come across as unnecessarily anxious. “Found” does not mean transmissible as Dr. Handsfield said years ago in the last quotation you ferreted out. You need to move on in terms of your unrealistic concerns about this typically innocuous infection. Given your propensity for anxiety regarding HPV, your priority should be getting vaccinated against HPV if you are not. If yard vaccinated, that’s yet another reason not to worry, EWH ---

42 months ago

Sounds good doctor. I'm virgin/unmarried and not have been in any relationship, other than the events mentioned in earlier question threads and this question.

So in summary:

1. From the fingering event, it's highly unlikely I picked something in my finger nails (and can consider myself clear)

2. Just in case(I understand this is not the situation): Even if I had HPV (genital or oral), there is no risk of passing to my family from normal living routines (bathroom/kitchen sharing etc). And I don't need to do anything extra(or change my lifestyle).

Doctor, please close the thread if answer is 'YES' to the above 2 points. I am satisfied and thanks for your inputs.

I agree with you and definitely will get the vaccination. Also all my past actions, I will forget and move on!

Edward W. Hook M.D.

42 months ago

Sigh. Repetitive. Final answers. Should you return with further questions on this topic, your thread may be closed without a response and without return of your posting fee.

1. Correct.

2. Correct

End of thread. EWH

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