[Question #8592] Partner with HPV
 |
42 months ago
|
Hello,
I am a male 34 my girlfriend 26 of 1 year has been diagnosed with low risk hpv and she had a few warts show up. After she had Covid. She had them the last 3 months and they began to shrink. But she decided to remove them anyway. We have had protected sex for a year as well as unprotected oral sex. We did have protected sex while the warts were present. (Before she went to the doctor.)Her pap was normal.
1. How likely is it she got the hpv from me if I have no symptoms. I did have a few sexual partners in the past all protected sex. The latest 18 months before my current gf. Also protected sex some genital to genital contact and unprotected oral. Her only other partner was her ex 2-3 years ago and they were each other’s first and only partners as far as she knows he wasn’t cheating on her. If I do not get any warts in the next few months does that mean I gave her hpv? And I am immune? If I do get warts does that mean she got it from her ex?
2. How long after treatment should we wait to have protected vaginal and unprotected oral sex again? If they don’t come back in the next 3-6 months should she consider her immune system has suppressed them for good?
3. Would you recommend I/we get the vaccine? The way I see it is either I have it and gave it to her and am immune or I don’t and I get vaccinated to have piece of mind for future relations with her. Also heard that it may stop recurrences.
Thank you for your time
 |
Edward W. Hook M.D.
42 months ago
|
Welcome to the Forum. Thanks for your questions. I'll do my best to provide information that I hope will be helpful to you and your GF. Questions about HPV are amongst the most common questions we deal with. Sadly, the internet is full of disinformation and inaccurate, anxiety provoking statements, thus, one of my strongest recommendations is to stay off the internet with regard to this topic. In addition to the direct comments I'll make, I would urge you to look at other threads on the Forum regarding HPV. We leave them available to clients for the purposes of providing information. The general sense of the responses we provide is that for the vast majority of persons who get HPV, the infection is innocuous, resolves on its own over time, and is so remarkably widespread that concerns about the infection are misplaced. Rather, we would encourage women with HPV to follow screening recommendations for HPV testing and PAP smear, we would recommend that men not worry, we would recommend that to try to determine who gave HPV to whom is a waste of time and unproductive, and we would recommend vaccination for most person. With that background, let's address your specific concerns:
---
1. Trying to determine who gave HPV to whom is a waste of time. Based on the histories you provide, you are both likely to have acquired HPV before you got together. Studies show that 50% of monogamous women are HPV positive within 6 months of initiating sexual activity. Your history likewise suggests you may have had HPV before the relationship begun. Condoms reduce but do not prevent HPV and the virus can be spread through non-penetrative sex.
2. There are no conclusive answers to this question. Treatment immediately reduces infectivity and following successful treatment infection is unlikely'
3. Irrespective of who gave her current infection to the ther (or irrespective since it is likely that you were both infected before your relationship began) vaccination is a good idea. It reduces risk for infection by the nine HPV types included over 95% and may promote resolution of infection for infected persons. Based on the ages you report, your partner should be vaccinated already and if she's not, she should be. The vaccine is likewise a good idea for you as well.
Hope this helps. You have up to two more follow-ups for additional questions or clarification. EWH
|
42 months ago
|
Thank you for your quick response. I agree the internet is filled with the worst case scenarios and it’s hard to find a level headed answers to basic questions.
1. Based on your experience with mild cases of genital warts (3-4 small single warts)usually go away after treatment and never return? We are both healthy and active individuals. She thinks the Covid weakened her immune system and that’s when they showed up. Also they seemed to begin to clear on their own before she had them removed by the doctor. In your experience, what is the usual timeline/ outcome for majority of genital warts cases? Do a majority of people only have one time infections without recurrence?
2. I know the statistic that 90% of hpv infections clear after about 2 years. Does that also apply to someone who has a wart outbreak? Or is that only for asymptomatic infections? Also is there a difference between a latent infection and time to clearance and an infection she got currently and time to clearance? Does latent infection mean she will have random outbreaks for the rest of her life?
3. What is your recommendation for our continuing sexual relationship? I know you usually say 3 months from infection with no recurrence is a good time frame. Is that correct?Can we continue to have unprotected oral and protected vaginal sex without worry of me getting warts or oral hpv? Since I have most likely already been exposed after a year with her.
4. I have seen the posts about the argument between clearance and suppression. In your many years or experience after initial outbreak and maybe 1 recurrence do a majority of genital warts outbreaks stop and never reoccur? So you could say it has been “cleared” or suppressed for good?
Thank you again for your time and help. Your recommendations about the vaccine and detailed responses have Been very helpful.
|
Edward W. Hook M.D.
42 months ago
|
Thanks for your follow up questions. The questions you’re asking are familiar ones and ones for which there is little precision in terms of scientifically valid data to help guide my response. With that lets address the questions you asked specifically:
---
1. Following treatment in which visible words are eliminated, about 25% recur. Most recurrences occur within six about six months following initial complete response. Response and resolution rates for visible warts following treatment and otherwise asymptomatic HPV infections are unclear.
2. See my comments above. Response rates appear to be similar for both visible warts and warts detectable only with the HPV testing.
3. You’ve both been exposed. Condoms are only 50 to 60% protective. Thus given this fact and your existing exposure, I see no reason to abstain from sex your contact at this time. I would continue your regular sexual activity.
4. Again, they do on this question are limited however it appears that in most situations once HPV infections have resolved they remain quiescent and are no longer transmissible.
EWH
|
42 months ago
|
1. “Studies show that 50% of monogamous women are HPV positive within 6 months of initiating sexual activity. “ could you clarify this statement? If her and her first bf were virgins. Could it be possible she got it from him if they were monogamous? Just a little confused about that.
2. Assuming I did not give her the hpv…. Since we have been having protected sex and oral for a year before the warts became visible, did having protected sex with the warts present increase my chances of getting them? And if I don’t see any warts show up in the next 3-6 months can I assume that my immune system is keeping the infection asymptomatic like 90% of the cases?
3. From reading online they make it seem like warts and hpv will be a chronic thing that will be a lifelong problem. Her gynecologist sort of down played her infection and said it’s like any other virus and she most likely has began to fight it off and that she shouldn’t worry because of her age. As long as she eats well and stays healthy it is not a big deal. Would you agree with her assessment? We just wanted a second opinion.
Could you affirm this final statement…. The warts and hpv are most likely a transient infection that we will deal with for the next year or 2(maybe less). After that it should clear up and it shouldn’t affect us in our lives whether that be together or with different partners in the future.
Once again thank you for your time and responses. They have been helpful and enlightening on this sometimes confusing and frustrating subject. I appreciate all your help and clarification and assurance you provided.
|
Edward W. Hook M.D.
42 months ago
|
As I suspect you know, we provide up to three responses to each client’s questions. This will be my third response. The thread will be closed later this morning. You were asking for assurances that simply are not possible to provide. Onto your follow up questions.
1. This is a true statement. Please remember that studies of the sort are done in large numbers of persons for statistical validity, that HPV can be transmitted by direct contact without penetration (genital- genital rubbing), and that for many persons their first sexual partner is someone who has been previously experienced. I cannot comment on your specific situation however it is statistically conceivable that your partner had HPV infection acquired from her first partner.
2. I’m not sure I follow this question. Condoms provide partial but not total protection against acquisition of HPV. Further, while the average time for the appearance of genital warts is 3 to 6 months, and some person to contact considerably longer. Unquestionably you have been exposed. I cannot say with complete confidence whether or not you have been infected however, given over a year of contact protected or otherwise with your partner, you are relatively highly exposed and infection is probable.
3. Both statements are true. If you read other threads on our forum you will see our explanations that, while detectable HPV infection typically resolves over a period of months or few years, that highly sophisticated, sensitive test used for research find that there is quiescent, residual HPV sometimes present. In the vast majority of persons, detectable HPV infections resolve, become nondetectible and nontransmissible with time. Routine, regular reproductive health examinations recommended for women do a superb job of early detection of abnormalities which need further management. For men simple observation is sufficient. HPV is so common, and so widespread for person to have not been vaccinated yet most specialists, like her physician, consider them more of a nuisance than a major threat to Health.
You are summary statement is correct.
I hope that the information I have provided on this complex topic has been helpful. Take care. EWH
---