Hi there - Firstly I wanted to thank you for all the insightful responses that are here with respect to HPV. 

I just have some questions that pertain to myself (35/yo male).

My last sexual encounter before my wife was in 2012. In around October of 2021 I noticed 6 black spots (maybe a millimeter or two in size) on the middle of my shaft. They were not stuck together, but looked to be about a centimeter apart from one another. They looked like black freckles or moles. I didn't think anything of it until around December I started researching and kept running into HPV warts (first I had even heard of this). 

I then finally went to see a walk-in clinic doctor about this in January 2021 and he said he wasn't sure what it was and that he didn't think it was warts but perhaps something hereditary. He then referred me to a dermatologist who I saw in March 2021. She took a look at it for a few seconds and immediately said they were warts. Her words were 'if it was just one then maybe it wouldn't be, but because they're clustering like that they're warts'. She proceeded to freeze them off and they haven't come back since. In my state of shock, I forgot to inform her that I also had two 'freckles/moles' on my scrotum (they are still there today).

Given now I'm going through daily hyper-examinations, I've noticed a few other spots in a different location on my shaft, except this time they resemble tiny white pimples and not the black spots like last time. They're much further apart from one another. They almost look like pronounced fordyce spots or folliculitis (a new term I've learned after endless reading). There are also a couple of other small bumps without the tiny white looking pimple.

After several days of reading/research and reading through your responses, I understand that HPV can be dormant and warts can appear at anytime which is just the nature of the beast here (it's taken me quite some time to wrap my head around this). My newly found family doctor has suggested as such that warts can appear anytime and he sees it all the time (not sure if he was saying that to make me feel better or not). I'm no longer deciding to beat myself up on what this could mean for my wife and myself, but rather just accept this as is and perhaps if it is indeed warts, my body will fight the infection off and clear it and that if my wife has contracted this, she has likely cleared it by now.

Just wanted to get your take based on the information above whether it could indeed be warts and if they are, are they known to come back looking different than before? Also wanted your take on these warts appearing around 9 years later (faithfulness + partner's previous sexual history not being concerns). I understand that these things are just a skin nuisance more than anything else and that proper screening/monitoring for my wife will be all that's required here.

Thanks very much.

Your description ("black spots") certainly isn't typical for genital warts, but it its unlikely a dermatologist would have been wrong after direct examination. So we should assume she was correct. Unfortunately, now you're asking for a judgment about other genital anomalies that I cannot see. Your description doesn't sound at all like genital warts. I suspect you're just looking too closely and noticing normal variations in your penile skin. Folliculitis is unlikely unless the lesions are inflamed (swollen and red); white spots could just be prominent sebaceous glands. But probably not genital warts. It is true that warts can recur, but I doubt that's the explanation now. FYI, most genital warts look like --- guess what? --- warts! The same as the hand warts you may have had as a kid. Or look online for photos of typical ones. Do not expect recurrent warts to look like "black spots" again. But if you feel you need to know for certain, you would need to see a health professional in person, ideally a dermatologist. But from what you say, I really don't think it's necessary.

Having said all that, it sounds like you have an appropriate and healthy perspective on genital warts as an unpleasant inconvenience, usually nothing more. I don't see that your wife needs any "screening/monitoring" at all, except to follow standard guidelines for regular Pap smears to assess the potential for cervical changes that often are caused by HPV.

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

I only have a couple of follow up questions:

1) With regards to the dormancy period here of 8-9 years for warts is this considered normal/common or exceptional? 

2) I ask because I can't help but wonder that it speaks to something that might be wrong with my immune system that I should look into that it has not been able to fight off this infection all these years. Just wondering if I should start investing in the multitude of vitamins/supplements that I'm often seeing people talk about on Reddit when it comes to fighting HPV to try and clear this.

Thanks once again. This website is truly invaluable and so I thank you for making this available for people like us in distress.

2) I suggest pretty much ignoring personal testimony about health foods, vitamins, supplements, or anything else that you might hope would be beneficial. None have ever been scientifically documented to have any such benefit. Don't waste your money on any such product, no matter how strong the suggestions or testimonies on Reddit or anywhere else; and I would suggest entirely avoiding web searching on the topic, except for professionally run or mediated sites (e.g. public health agencies, academic medical sources, or others with professional monitoring). Online sites organized and run specifically for people with particular health problems typically lack objectivity and are generally not science based. It isn't worth the time or emotional energy to go there.

My original reply above applauds your "appropriate and healthy perspective on genital warts as an unpleasant inconvenience, usually nothing more." These questions make me question that judgment! You now seem to be more concerned than I originally thought. I really think you should a) confirm professionally whether or not you have genital warts now; b) if so, have them treated; c) if not, or if you do and once they are treated, just move on with your life without further concern about this truly trivial sort of health problem.