I went for my first smear in a while and since I last went they started testing for HPV too.  I learnt yesterday that I have a high risk strand of HPV but not sure which number, just definitely a high risk one as they said they only test for those.  The nurse was lovely and said not to worry just keep coming back, and explained that it could have lain dormant for years.  I've had the same partner since 19 and am now 43 with us both being faithful so that does make sense.

What is worrying me is that I've had this all the time and not known and could have spread it.  I've only slept with my husband in that time and assume he has it, but we live with our three children and have shared towels and so on.  Also  this wouldn't have happened regularly but I know I have sometimes washed with a flannel, including between my legs, and left it to dry on the side and one of the kids could have then used it in the bath or even on their face.  Reading over the previous answers the deal seems to be you can never say never but I don't need to worry about this really.  I'm just concerned that if I couldn't shift this then maybe they can't either if they've got it off my flannel in their mouth or their eyes or something - can you get it in your eyes?

I figure if it was a real issue we'd see it, as the nurse said my situation is common, I am just feeling so guilty.

Anyway, I hope this makes sense,

Thanks so much,

L

I'm happy to reinforce the reassuring advice you had from the clinic nurse. To summarize the science, the HPV types that infect the genitals are not spread other than by sexual contact. Household members of infected people are at no risk (assuming they are not also the infected persons' sex partners). No cases have been reliably attributed to shared toilets, towels, eating utensils, cups, glasses, cookware, etc. That includes children in the household, including those that share beds or bedding with infected persons, such as their parents. At least 90% of humans acquire at least one genital area HPV infection (often several of them, depending on their sexual lifestyles), so you can expect your kids to be exposed and infected when they become sexually active, but not before then. One of the reasons HPV immunization is recommended starting at age 11 is because up to that age, it can be safely assumed they have not been infected -- and therefore get maximum protection from vaccination if started before onset of sexual activity. Obviously this strategy would not work if significant numbers of kids acquired HPV from their parents or other adult household members, but they do not.

Your own comment ("I figure if it was a real issue...) shows that you already know all this -- intellectually if not emotionally. There really is no need and no justification of "feeling so guilty". Consider all your personal friends, co-workers, and acquaintences:  at least 90% of them are in the same boat, or have been at one time or another. You should view genital HPV as a normal, expected, unavoidable consequence of being sexual. And although you didn't raise the issue of when and by whom you were infected, I can say that it is rarely possible to know. Perhaps importantly, your positive HPV test does not necessarily imply that either you or your husband has had sex with anyone else during the time the two of you have been together. Here too I agree with the advice you had from the clinic nurse. And by the way, you should not alter your sexual practices with your husband:  there is no need.

At this point, the only important thing is to follow your doctor's advice about follow-up testing, to prevent progression to cancer by detecting pre-cancerous changes long before they become dangerous.

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

HHH, MD