Thank you so much for all your support, this is a fantastic service.

Welcome back to the forum. As you may know, Dr. Handsfield and I share responsibilities for answering questions in a random fashion and on this occasion I happen to pick up your question. Thus you will receive perspectives on your questions from both of us. In preparing to answer your question I reviewed your earlier interaction with Dr. Handsfield and agree with all that he said.---

Thank you so very much, that is hugely helpful.

Ps (as my last supplementary) - the thing I just cant square is the reassurance Im at similar risk of cancers to most folks with the fact Ive likely had some strain of high risk HPV for 15 years. It isn't anxiety or shame or guilt driving this now so much as lack of understanding.  Anything you can do to break this down to elementary school levels of scientific explanation would really help me. The facts I have got is that you typically / just about always need skin to skin rubbing as in sex for transmission (would that include kissing?),  multiples more folks get HR HPV than get cancer and that many (i think) might be women like me who got it years back and have had it since or to varying degrees and still most likely wont get cancer and that we know this from decades of data.  It just feels counter intuitive (no doubt illogically) to learn one has had a virus for years and years and isnt statistically at greater risk of consequences from it than most people.  I hope you can understand and sorry if this doesnt make sense, three year old daughter is on a sleep strike and that probably isnt helping my already limited mental capacity for understanding this stuff.

Please let me go back to the beginning.  Now that you have tested positive on two occasions for high risk HPV, what has been done?  Were the PAP smear findings normal?  Was there discussion of colposcopy?  EWH---

Of course doctor and thank you.  I am in the UK and the NHS started specifically screening for HPV in 2019. The first smear I had after this was 2021 and picked it up and referred me for coloposcopy - v minor cell changes detected but nothing needing action. I am now on annual smears and the same thing happened again - smear and colcoscopy - high risk HPV and v minor cell changes.  Again, no further action beyond continuing annual checks advised. My first irregular smear and referral to colposcopy was 2007, when I was 25 and already with my now husband and the same pattern happened but without specific mentioning of HPV. My smears in between were ok. I only learnt about any oral HPV risks recently, in general terms I mean, not for myself and that initially panicked me as we have had regular oral sex and particularly my “tasting” habit mentioned in my earlier question. I just want to properly understand the medical assurances about not needing to especially worry about this, especially with the oral stuff as my dentist cant check my tongue base etc as thoroughly as pap smears check my cervix. I hope this makes sense.

Thanks for the additional information.  Although you have had two HPV positive tests a year apart, there is still  a possibility that the infection will clear with additional time.  Admittedly, the longer the test remains positive, the more likely that this will continue to be the case but we can hope.  In the interim, it sounds as though you are getting the recommended care.  I'm afraid that as long as the test remains positive, most clinicians would recommend follow-up colposcopy.  As long as there are no signs of progression seen on your colposcopies, there nothing more you can do other than to continue follow-up and to do your best not to worry.  EWH---

Thank you so much. Final follow up - the only issue that remains muddled for me is about self inoculation via vaginal fluids from my own hand to mouth. In some answers here it is suggested that this might happen and elsewhere seems to be suggested as very unlikely / close to impossible as you need there to be some element of friction or “massage” via abrasions so just swallowing cervical mucus would not transmit HPV. Are you able to clarify this point for me - I have not fully understood the scale of risk I have put myself at my tasting my own CM each day whilst having a HR HPV infection from the answers so far from you or Dr HHH and would hugely welcome the simplest answer you can write - thank you!!!!

Final response.  I know you are worried about the self-inoculation issue from your practice of tasting your vaginal fluids.  I apologize if you have found our prior responses to you and others confusing.  We try to say things differently when we get similarly questions repeatedly and the topic of self inoculation falls into that category.  Let me try again.  In science one can never say never.  New knowledge and rare events continue to occur and be detected.  That said, HPV self inoculation is simply not a meaningful problem for persons with HPV.  For all of HPV transmission friction/microabrasions seem to facilitate transmission, helping to work the virus into the skin.  This would be anticipated to be the case regarding the extraordinarily rare occasions when self-inoculation may have occurred.  Your risk of having given yourself oral HPV from your practice of tasting your vaginal secretions is extraordinarily low and something that I urge you to put behind you as a concern.---