[Question #9765] oral HR-HPV risk for children in the family

29 months ago

Dear Dr Hunter. I used to have one-time paid sex with CSW and may get HR_HPV infection on my penis from that incident. I have two children (one of them still few months old). When the two children growing up, they shared/are sharing the same bed with me. In MANY occasions, I masturbated myself, forgot to wash hands and then immediately took care of babies (handle the pacifier and put them into their mouth, or such kinds). In nights, I also can't avoid to tough my private areas and then take care of babies. The little babies also like to put everything including my fingers in their mouths. I worry that my babies may acquire HR-HPV in their mouth and regret that I put them in oral cancer risk. I understand there is no risk from sharing towels or bedsheet. But I worry that my hand may transfer HPV to the mouth of my children. To me, it seems just one extra step compared to oral sex. I read online information, which is very confusing. Seems inanimate objects (like sex toys) may also transfer HPV. I try to convince myself that oral HPV can only acquire from direct oral sex. But immediately, I ask what if hand carrying HPV and cause oral infection.

Another concern: I visited STD clinics to address the above concern. Will I have HPV risk if I scratched myself (minor bleeding) after my hands touched the possible contaminated doornobs of the clinics? Will my baby at risk of oral HPV if his mouth licking my fingers after I came back from the clinics?

Thank you so much for helping me address my concerns.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

29 months ago

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your confidence in our services.

I think the username you chose says it all: that name, and both the content and tone of your questions, suggest you are far more concerned about HPV than normal, and that you have serious misunderstandings about it. Almost everyone has genital HPV, including HR types like HPV 16, 18, and others. At least 90% of all humans get genital HPV and carry it, and the high risk types of HPV are among the most common. Having HPV, including HR types, is a normal, expected, unavoidable aspect of human sex. If your only sex prior to marriage was a single CSW contact, you might not be infected -- but it doesn't matter if you were, and probably you should assume you have it. But so does everybody else. HPV is never transmitted non sexually to family members; your children are not at risk, assuming there has been no sexual abuse in your family. You did not put them at risk of cancer, oral or any other. And the virus is never transmitted by environmental contact or exposure, by doorknobs or anything else. The virus is ONLY transmitted by sex.

For those reasons, there is no basis for your fears. I hope these comments resolve them. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

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29 months ago

Dear Dr Hunter. Thank you so much for your explanation and assurance. I guess it is time for me to absolutely move on and live a normal happy life.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

29 months ago

Exactly right! I'm glad to have helped.---

29 months ago

Dear Dr Hunter. Sorry to trouble you again. I constantly feel very guilty for my one-time CSW visit. I cleared almost all STD except HPV (simply no way to test in men). Since no way to test, I have no way to get 100% sure. Just double confirm '. In MANY occasions, I masturbated myself, forgot to wash hands and then immediately took care of babies (handle the pacifier and put them into their mouth, or such kinds)., These exposures would have not put my children in oral HR-HPV risk even these happened MANY times during growing up of my children? I feel guilty before without CSW visit, I maybe can be confident 100% HPV free. Due to this visit, i am not confident. Now I have to make sure my children no HPV risk from my musturbation ( sorry that really very hard to completely avoid this). Thank you doctor.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

29 months ago

All I can do is repeat what I have already said: you probably did not HPV from your CSW exposure; but if you did, it is normal (almost everybody has genital HPV); if you have HPV, it will probably never cause health problems for you, your wife, or any other sex partners; and your kids are not at risk of catching HPV from you. Your difficulty understanding and accepting all this is because of your abnormal guilt and shame over a single, very human event years ago.

In addition, your repeated statements of worry over masturbation, also a very normal human activity (EVERYBODY does it!), also suggest you have some deep seated anxieties or shame over sex itself. Do your best to follow your own conviction, stated above ("...it is time for me to absolutely move on and live a normal happy life"). If you cannot, you should consider professional counseling, which I suggest it from compassion, not criticism. Ask your doctor for a referral.

That completes the two follow-up comments included with each question and so ends this thread. Please do not be tempted to start another about these same concerns. There is nothing you will think of that possibly could change the expert, reasoned, science based reassurance I have tried to give you. Thanks for your understnading. I do hope the discussion helps get you started on understanding and accepting that nohting is wrong other than your mental health issues. Good luck.

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