[Question #9953] One Time HPV Exposure

27 months ago

Last night I had protected vaginal intercourse with a woman for the first time. She disclosed she had a high-risk strain of HPV which was causing cellular abnormalities that seemed to be cancerous. I’m pretty well educated about HPV as I had genital warts in my early 20s. I'm in my mid-30s and have had 50-60 sexual partners so I'm sure I’ve been exposed to a host of HPV strains. However, I’m left with questions about how to ethically move forward with future partners after this one-night stand.

1. Should I disclose to future sexual partners I could be carrying this HPV strain? My gut says no as it was a one-time exposure, I used protection and I most likely have already been exposed to a multitude of HPV strains which I don’t know about. Also, it would just cause stress for prospective new sexual partners. Moreover, I most likely am carrying a bunch of HPV strains at the moment because of my sexual history. But I don’t want to knowingly give someone a strain that could cause someone cancer.

2. From this one-time protected exposure, what is the chance that I now have this high-risk strain?

3. Is it important to ask which strain of HPV it is - I don’t think she knows.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

27 months ago

Welcome to our Forum. Thanks for your thoughtful questions and your concerns about future sexual partners. Your partner was good to disclose to you although I think that when it comes to disclosure by you to future partners for someone like you who has had multiple prior partners and HPV in the past, I see no reason for disclosure to future partners. Several studies show that within 2-3 years of the onset of sexual activity about half of non-vaccinated monogamous women have HPV infection, often with multiple strains. You almost certainly have been infected in the past and may have some degree of immunity/resistance to future infections as a result. Further, most single exposures do not lead to infection. Even if you are currently disclosing to partners about your prior partner numbers and STIs if any (which is a great way to build trust and start relationships of a good footing, I see no need to disclose. In response to your specific questions:

Follow your gut. Remember, only about 1-2%, at most, of so-called "high risk" HPV strains go on to cause pre-cancerous lesions needing treatment. You have almost certainly been exposed and been infected with such strains in the past. In most instances, when such infections do occur, they are controlled by the host response to infection (your immune response) without progression or consequence.

2. From this one-time protected exposure, what is the chance that I now have this high-risk strain?

You have probably been infected with it in the past and may even have some degree of immunity from past infections. The odds that you were now infected (or re-infected) through this one time exposure are low.

3. Is it important to ask which strain of HPV it is - I don’t think she knows

Again, thanks for your thoughtful questions. please feel free to use your up to two follow-ups for clarification if anything I've said is unclear. EWH

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