Genital warts

[JayJayJayJay]

Ive had genital warts for 3 to 4 months now(only 4 or 5 warts). Decided to goto the docs who gave me some warticon paint you apply twice a day. Im guessing genital warts are a type of HPV? anyway....

My question is ive only slept with the same person for 4 years. Although we split up 17 months ago and suspect she had slept with someone else. Could she had caught it 17 months ago when we wasnt together? or could she of had it for over 4 years without any signs and without any signs on myself either? As far i know she doesnt have any external signs of it.

Should i tell her to go get a pap test? or sti/std test? or the lot?

[Amie635]

I don't have any info about pap tests, when I went to get tested for GW, they said they could only do it when visable signs are showing. I wasn't aware you could get pap tests in the UK as I wasn't offered one. Women can get smear tests but only after the age of 25, and i'm not sure if that will detect low risk hpv

As you have genital warts and you are pretty certain you got them from her then you don't have to make any changes when it comes to sex. You have the same strain so you can't reinfect each other and there are no studys proving that having sex with someone who has the strain you have can trigger a warts outbreak. She still might show signs but then again it may take years or it may never happen.

You can't treat genital warts that don't have symptoms because without symtoms its just a virus in the body and virus's aren't curable, its just the symptoms that are treatable.

[JayJayJayJay]

Thanks,

I have only ever slept with virgins in my past therefore i have not had it myself before the recent relationship. My current gf has had previous sexual relationships before we got together with people known to have slept here there and everywhere.

If she isnt showing signs of genital warts then where do i/we go from there regarding having sex without a condom? Because you say they would not treat her/test her if there are no visable signs? surely a pap test would show for sure she has HPV? in the uk by the way.

[Amie635]

it can take many years before signs of genital warts start to appear, you could of had it for a long time and only just started getting symptoms. The reason your girlfriend hasn't shown signs is she may be asymptomatic or the warts just haven't appeared yet, also she may have the warts inside her vagina so you are unable to see them. It is very possible she got it 17 months ago, and also possible she had it before you were together (providing she was already sexually active) Just to be sure tell her to get all the tests done as it is possible to have more than one STD test at a time. In the UK you can only get tested for gential warts when there are visable symptoms present, I'm not sure if that is applicable for other countrys.
Amie. x