Aa
I really dont want to kill my girlfriend
i had several protected vaginal sex and received several UNPROTECTED oral sex before i dated my girlfriend.
Recently i just noticed that the HPV may stay in man's body without causing any symtom. And if i give HPV to a woman the woman may get cervical cancer within years.
I'm really afraid that i've already had it and given it to my girlfriend.
I REALLY LOVE HER AND DONT WANT TO KILL HER
Should i avoid sexual contact with her in any ways? What else should i do?
Recently i just noticed that the HPV may stay in man's body without causing any symtom. And if i give HPV to a woman the woman may get cervical cancer within years.
I'm really afraid that i've already had it and given it to my girlfriend.
I REALLY LOVE HER AND DONT WANT TO KILL HER
Should i avoid sexual contact with her in any ways? What else should i do?
my question is can a person with inactive hpv be contagious ? i have a friend that had a hysterectomy years ago and just recently had a pap and it came back abnormal and she was also diagnosed with an inactive case of hpv.
as you were planning to have child soon, it would be better to consult to an expert, for what's the best option you could do to your partner.
Can you weigh in on my post as well. Thank you
Could you weigh in on my post.i would love to hear what you think and it would be apprrciated
According to Dr. Handsfield, if you both have the infection you do not pass it between the two of you back and forth. Your bodies would simply process the virus at different rates perhaps. I detect you may be blowing this cervical cancer thing out of proportion though imacreep. I sympathize with that behavior as I tend to do the same thing. However, it's extremely important to put this in perspective. Your past is fairly low-risk and I wouldn't be too worried about what you have done. My advice is to forget out this as completely as you can. Focus that brain power on loving your woman, keeping that love alive and having amazing intimate lovemaking and deep connections. In the next two years have her go in for her pap smear which she should be doing anyway and if it comes up abnormal you can always have the cells tested for what strain of HPV it is. If she did have an abnormal swab, and if it did turn out to be a strain that is known to possibly lead to cervical cancer, then by all means freak out then and beat yourself up and become racked with guilt :) Until then you have to relax. It's best for you and your relationship. If you still must worry, search this site for stats on cervical cancer and how many of them that even get it die from it. You'll be amazed at the low numbers. That's your search to do though. Good luck calming down my friend.
though i never have any warts but as i know those strains of HPV which cause cancer can stay in man's body without any symtoms. That is why i'm worried about it so much. My girlfriend's sex history is clean because she was a vagin at the time we dated, but to be honest I used to have protected vaginal sex with ladies who are very messed up!
And one more question.
though it is often said that HPV would normally be clear in 6~24months, but since i am in stable relationship with my gf, we have sex on regular basis. Isn't it very likely that we will have persistent infection and finally result in cervical cancer (if i have the virus)? This is why i plan to use condom and i'm pretty sure that most of the times the condom does cover all of my penis and i GUESS the HPV leading to cancer won't be transmitted through skin contact (e.g with the area of skin near penis).
P.S: i have never had any warts up to this moment.(last time i have vaginal sex was in Feb 2010).
though it is often said that HPV would normally be clear in 6~24months, but since i am in stable relationship with my gf, we have sex on regular basis. Isn't it very likely that we will have persistent infection and finally result in cervical cancer (if i have the virus)? This is why i plan to use condom and i'm pretty sure that most of the times the condom does cover all of my penis and i GUESS the HPV leading to cancer won't be transmitted through skin contact (e.g with the area of skin near penis).
P.S: i have never had any warts up to this moment.(last time i have vaginal sex was in Feb 2010).
It's just skin contact imacreep. In fact, Dr. H Hunter Handsfield said that it may even take some good lovemaking friction to transfer the virus as it transfers best through micro-abrasions in the skin. Obviously micro-abrasions are a fact of intercourse as so many people get HPV, but if you don't have any symptoms, or in the case of warts, no active warts and they've been clear for some time, then perhaps simply touch genitalia wouldn't transmit the virus. This is all best guess logical conjecture though.
In your case, the answer is skin contact. But I really want you to listen to the facts. According to your first post I'm reading that you don't even know if you have HPV but that you are worrying about it big time. If your sexually history as you outlined it is true then you are at pretty low risk of having it. What's your girlfriends sexual history? For all you know she might be giving it to you, which wouldn't be a big deal of course because you'd never know anyway and you can't really pass it back to her as she'd have it already. I don't know the stats but if you did have it and she had an abnormal pap smear, then it's still no big deal a vast majority of the time. Again, what's her sexual history. She could have it already and if she had an abnormal pap you'd blame it on yourself inappropriately. HPV is not something we choose to have, but it's really not a big deal for almost everybody. You can't go around worrying about something so statistically unlikely especially with who gave it to whom so ambiguous anyway. You wouldn't beat yourself up to exposing her to car exhaust from your car just becuase there is a small chance you might kill her with lung cancer 30 years down the road.
Just a bunch of thoughts. If you do have the virus and you know it then wear a condom for a year and then forget about it. Hope this helps.
In your case, the answer is skin contact. But I really want you to listen to the facts. According to your first post I'm reading that you don't even know if you have HPV but that you are worrying about it big time. If your sexually history as you outlined it is true then you are at pretty low risk of having it. What's your girlfriends sexual history? For all you know she might be giving it to you, which wouldn't be a big deal of course because you'd never know anyway and you can't really pass it back to her as she'd have it already. I don't know the stats but if you did have it and she had an abnormal pap smear, then it's still no big deal a vast majority of the time. Again, what's her sexual history. She could have it already and if she had an abnormal pap you'd blame it on yourself inappropriately. HPV is not something we choose to have, but it's really not a big deal for almost everybody. You can't go around worrying about something so statistically unlikely especially with who gave it to whom so ambiguous anyway. You wouldn't beat yourself up to exposing her to car exhaust from your car just becuase there is a small chance you might kill her with lung cancer 30 years down the road.
Just a bunch of thoughts. If you do have the virus and you know it then wear a condom for a year and then forget about it. Hope this helps.
my problem is that, i never had any warts, so what will be the medium of transmission of this virus if i have it? blood and semen? or just skin contact with my genital?
I'd like to weigh in on the condom thing too. You have to keep in mind how you are being intimate. If you rub your erection all over her wetness then slap a condom on then it seems kind of counter productive right? If she can touch you with no risk areas such as hands and stuff and you keep the uglies from bumping during foreplay, then in my opinion the risk factors go way down. Perhaps you know where your warts are localized. I do, I know that a condom covers it. Of course I have yet to go even six weeks without a return trip to the derm so I'm in a period of solo self betterment and not out in the field. But later, I'm going to be highly on guard for these types of interactions. If she knows and you know what is acceptable and what is not you should be able to reduce the risk to virtually nothing if you ask me. Just my opinion though.
I don't think condom use has any effect on whether she develops cervical cancer if she has HPV. I'm not sure of the exact statistics, but I've read that condoms are 70% effective at protecting against the transmission of HPV though. Not exactly fullproof. That's because the condom doesn't cover ALL skin. Wearing a condom is definitely a wise decision in any relationship (to protect against other potential STDs or pregnancy, if that's an issue), but it's not terribly effective against HPV. And I haven't seen anything that says that wearing a condom does anything to keep HPV from turning into cervical cancer (of which, the chances are pretty slim anyway).
thanks for your exhaustive answer! I'll try to take it easy now.
Here's what i plan to do. I know use of condom does not fully block the virus. But if i wear a condom every time we have sex (untill we want to have child), does it provide effective help of lowering her chance of developing cervical cancer ?
Here's what i plan to do. I know use of condom does not fully block the virus. But if i wear a condom every time we have sex (untill we want to have child), does it provide effective help of lowering her chance of developing cervical cancer ?
imacreep-
First, take a deep breath and calm down. You are not going to kill your girlfriend. Here are some facts about HPV that may put your mind at ease.
-Oral sex, even unprotected oral sex, is not an efficient way to spread HPV. I have spoken to several doctors (including my dermatologist) about the prevalence of oral HPV. All of them have said that it's of negligible concern. My dermatologist's office, who sees hundreds/thousands of patients has said "we never see it." That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but it does mean that it's extremely rare. From what I've read, the only people for whom HPV takes hold in the mouth are those with depleted immune systems (advanced HIV, or those undergoing chemotherapy). Think of it this way, how many people do you think take part in oral sex every year? Each year, less than 10,000 are diagnosed with oral cancer resulting from HPV. The chances are really tiny.
-Even if you used a condom during your vaginal sex in the past, it is likely that you contracted at least one strain of HPV, probably more. Like I said though, calm down, nearly everyone who has ever had sex has at least one strain of HPV, probably more. For all sexually active people, 85-90% of people contract HPV. It's a normal part of having sex. This should calm you down some... because your girlfriend probably already has/had HPV as well, you can't infect her again.
-That's right, I said "has/had HPV". Some doctors believe that HPV DNA stays in your body forever. Some doctors don't. What all doctors seem to agree on, though, is that after a period of time (usually 6-24 months), the human body "clears" the virus. This means that your immune system builds a response to the virus and suppresses it to levels that it's no longer detectable, even by the most sensitive tests. At that point, it won't cause any problems, and it's not communicable (contagious). So, for all purposes, after you clear the virus, you are cured of the virus. Think of it this way- you've had dozens, probably hundreds, possibly thousands of viruses from the time you were born. Your body never completely gets rid of the DNA associated with these viruses (that's why people never get chicken pox twice, for example), but your immune system builds a response to keep it suppressed. Same deal here. What does that mean for you? It means that even IF you contracted HPV strains from your former partners, there is a good chance that either a) your girlfriend already has them too, or b) you've already cleared the virus and can't pass it on to her. Of course, if you've had a different sexual partner in the last two years, there is a chance that you could pass on a strain she doesn't have. Even if this happens, it's not a big deal. There's a greater than 90% chance that she'll just clear the virus too in the next two years. As long as she gets normal pap smears, she'll be fine.
-Even if you do both end up with the same strain of HPV, you'll never know whether you gave it to her, or she gave it to you. Don't bother trying to find out.
I know it's scary to hear about how HPV can "stay in the system" without causing any symptoms. While that's true for some strains of HPV, there are others that can cause genital warts. You'd know if you had them. It doesn't matter much either way, HPV is a normal part of sexual life.
If you're really that worried about your girlfriend's well-being regarding HPV, tell her that she should get the HPV vaccine (Gardasil). It prevents the four most common strains. Two of those strains can, but often do not, go on to cause cervical cancer.
Just remember, everyone gets HPV. If everyone avoided sexual contact because they were afraid of passing on HPV, nobody would ever have sex, and that would be a very sad world to live in.
First, take a deep breath and calm down. You are not going to kill your girlfriend. Here are some facts about HPV that may put your mind at ease.
-Oral sex, even unprotected oral sex, is not an efficient way to spread HPV. I have spoken to several doctors (including my dermatologist) about the prevalence of oral HPV. All of them have said that it's of negligible concern. My dermatologist's office, who sees hundreds/thousands of patients has said "we never see it." That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but it does mean that it's extremely rare. From what I've read, the only people for whom HPV takes hold in the mouth are those with depleted immune systems (advanced HIV, or those undergoing chemotherapy). Think of it this way, how many people do you think take part in oral sex every year? Each year, less than 10,000 are diagnosed with oral cancer resulting from HPV. The chances are really tiny.
-Even if you used a condom during your vaginal sex in the past, it is likely that you contracted at least one strain of HPV, probably more. Like I said though, calm down, nearly everyone who has ever had sex has at least one strain of HPV, probably more. For all sexually active people, 85-90% of people contract HPV. It's a normal part of having sex. This should calm you down some... because your girlfriend probably already has/had HPV as well, you can't infect her again.
-That's right, I said "has/had HPV". Some doctors believe that HPV DNA stays in your body forever. Some doctors don't. What all doctors seem to agree on, though, is that after a period of time (usually 6-24 months), the human body "clears" the virus. This means that your immune system builds a response to the virus and suppresses it to levels that it's no longer detectable, even by the most sensitive tests. At that point, it won't cause any problems, and it's not communicable (contagious). So, for all purposes, after you clear the virus, you are cured of the virus. Think of it this way- you've had dozens, probably hundreds, possibly thousands of viruses from the time you were born. Your body never completely gets rid of the DNA associated with these viruses (that's why people never get chicken pox twice, for example), but your immune system builds a response to keep it suppressed. Same deal here. What does that mean for you? It means that even IF you contracted HPV strains from your former partners, there is a good chance that either a) your girlfriend already has them too, or b) you've already cleared the virus and can't pass it on to her. Of course, if you've had a different sexual partner in the last two years, there is a chance that you could pass on a strain she doesn't have. Even if this happens, it's not a big deal. There's a greater than 90% chance that she'll just clear the virus too in the next two years. As long as she gets normal pap smears, she'll be fine.
-Even if you do both end up with the same strain of HPV, you'll never know whether you gave it to her, or she gave it to you. Don't bother trying to find out.
I know it's scary to hear about how HPV can "stay in the system" without causing any symptoms. While that's true for some strains of HPV, there are others that can cause genital warts. You'd know if you had them. It doesn't matter much either way, HPV is a normal part of sexual life.
If you're really that worried about your girlfriend's well-being regarding HPV, tell her that she should get the HPV vaccine (Gardasil). It prevents the four most common strains. Two of those strains can, but often do not, go on to cause cervical cancer.
Just remember, everyone gets HPV. If everyone avoided sexual contact because they were afraid of passing on HPV, nobody would ever have sex, and that would be a very sad world to live in.
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