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Can hpv be transmitted by hand or other object?
Hey, I'm a bit overly concerned about Hpv since it is so common. I don't have sex, all forms of them. but I'm still concerned because I saw some research showing hpv can live on inanimate object or one's hand for 7 days up. so say I went in to the toilet and the person just came out and touched the door knob after she touched her genital parts, and I walked in right away and touched the door knob and touched my genital part. is it possible to be transmitted like that? what about touch someone's and then go into the toilet and touch my genital part? this is really concerning me. Also, I really have a fear over sanitary pads because they are touched by the supermarket staff and to me, and I need to open the package and definitely touch a bit the inner part of the pad with the finger that touched the outer package which is touched by the staff. I also know that alcohol doesn't kill HPV and I don't know how I can clean things like toilet seat, toilet flush button, shower head, faucet, etc. Do I need to wash my hands thoroughly before going to pee? sometimes there is just no soap or the faucet seems too dirty itself. Will it be transmitted if you accidently touched other person's used toilet paper and than you touched your genital part right after? thank you. another question is will you pass the virus by yourself? say I had a period and the blood contaminated the pants? I wore it a few days later and will it give the virus back to me if I cleaned it within these days? sorry for those questions. I worry a lot . thank you.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Oh hon, I'm sorry you live with this kind of fear.
HPV is sexually transmitted. That means it requires direct sexual contact in order to transmit it. It requires skin to skin genital contact, or oral to genital, contact.
Hands to not transmit HPV. https://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/hpv-genital-warts/news/20190215/hands-dont-spread-hpv-study-finds
Just because something lives on surfaces - and I don't know where you saw that it lives for 7 days - it doesn't mean it can transmit that way.
Have you gotten help for your fears? I'm not a therapist, but it sounds like you might have OCD. There are ways to manage that, and I sincerely hope you consider talking to your doctor about it.
Since HPV sounds like a big fear for you, have you considered getting vaccinated against it? That may help ease your concerns.
HPV is sexually transmitted. That means it requires direct sexual contact in order to transmit it. It requires skin to skin genital contact, or oral to genital, contact.
Hands to not transmit HPV. https://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/hpv-genital-warts/news/20190215/hands-dont-spread-hpv-study-finds
Just because something lives on surfaces - and I don't know where you saw that it lives for 7 days - it doesn't mean it can transmit that way.
Have you gotten help for your fears? I'm not a therapist, but it sounds like you might have OCD. There are ways to manage that, and I sincerely hope you consider talking to your doctor about it.
Since HPV sounds like a big fear for you, have you considered getting vaccinated against it? That may help ease your concerns.
2 Comments
hey, thanks so so much. Yes, I have OCD and fear of germs and especially STIs. I have got the vaccination for hpv 16 and 18. But I got it when I was over 30. (when I was young, there wasn't such a thing). But I might be too old for the vaccination to work effectively and I still can be affected by other strains, so I'm still worrying. Again, thank you so much. I always have to washing my hands a lot before going to the toilet and going to shop things like toilet paper and sanitary items freaks me out, like does the shop employee have some hpv on his hands? is the counter contaminated? etc. I will work on my OCD issues. but thank you again.
One of the articles I read about the stability of HPV on fomite is:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1586/14787210.2014.959497
in the conclusion, it states:
"We also inform that many of the current disinfectants used to protect us from environmental or noscomial infection of microbes are ineffective at neutralizing HPVs. Again, there is evidence for this in comprehensive basic research studies as well as well-documented cases involving contaminated hospital equipment [28]. Because of these two factors, HPV is available to be transmitted through non-sexual means, either by way of mother to child, fomites, self-inoculation or noscomial infection. As discussed, some transmission avenues work better than others, as some result in transient infections with little risk to the individual. It is also possible that other less documented forms of transmission of HPV infection may be possible"
Another article is : https://www.waterpathogens.org/book/papillomavirus
and in articles like this:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140212132944.htm
it seems that disinfectants also doesn't work.
so I know maybe the non-sexual transmission is not very common. But there is a possibility.
So, going to see a gynecologist is my worst nightmare.
One of the articles I read about the stability of HPV on fomite is:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1586/14787210.2014.959497
in the conclusion, it states:
"We also inform that many of the current disinfectants used to protect us from environmental or noscomial infection of microbes are ineffective at neutralizing HPVs. Again, there is evidence for this in comprehensive basic research studies as well as well-documented cases involving contaminated hospital equipment [28]. Because of these two factors, HPV is available to be transmitted through non-sexual means, either by way of mother to child, fomites, self-inoculation or noscomial infection. As discussed, some transmission avenues work better than others, as some result in transient infections with little risk to the individual. It is also possible that other less documented forms of transmission of HPV infection may be possible"
Another article is : https://www.waterpathogens.org/book/papillomavirus
and in articles like this:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140212132944.htm
it seems that disinfectants also doesn't work.
so I know maybe the non-sexual transmission is not very common. But there is a possibility.
So, going to see a gynecologist is my worst nightmare.
Okay, but hear me for a minute -
Just because a germ is available to be transmitted doesn't mean it can be transmitted. HPV might be on a surface, but that doesn't mean that there is enough of it to transmit and infect. Maybe the disinfectants don't entirely kill it/remove it/annihilate it, but maybe it renders it incapable of transmitting.
A lot more needs to be studied.
I'm not going to be able to say anything that makes you say, "oh my gosh, all this worry for nothing. This stranger on the internet cured my OCD about HPV!", and I know that. I hope to be able to give you something that helps you counter your fears, though.
I'm sure seeing the GYNO is awful for you. Would it help if you witnessed them opening new instruments or bringing your own sheets or something for the table? Maybe you can bring cheap ones that you can have them throw away after so you aren't bringing them home after? Maybe you could spray it with Lysol yourself and then lay your own sheets on it, then watch them open new instruments and get new gloves?
It's probably not perfect, but maybe it would help give you some control?
The study I showed you comes after the articles you showed me, so it's more recent that it's been proven that hands don't transmit it.
Hang in there. I'm sure it's really hard. I hope you have a therapist and a psychiatrist. We also have an OCD forum that may (or may not - it's not for everyone, obviously) help - https://www.medhelp.org/forums/Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder-OCD-/show/231
Just because a germ is available to be transmitted doesn't mean it can be transmitted. HPV might be on a surface, but that doesn't mean that there is enough of it to transmit and infect. Maybe the disinfectants don't entirely kill it/remove it/annihilate it, but maybe it renders it incapable of transmitting.
A lot more needs to be studied.
I'm not going to be able to say anything that makes you say, "oh my gosh, all this worry for nothing. This stranger on the internet cured my OCD about HPV!", and I know that. I hope to be able to give you something that helps you counter your fears, though.
I'm sure seeing the GYNO is awful for you. Would it help if you witnessed them opening new instruments or bringing your own sheets or something for the table? Maybe you can bring cheap ones that you can have them throw away after so you aren't bringing them home after? Maybe you could spray it with Lysol yourself and then lay your own sheets on it, then watch them open new instruments and get new gloves?
It's probably not perfect, but maybe it would help give you some control?
The study I showed you comes after the articles you showed me, so it's more recent that it's been proven that hands don't transmit it.
Hang in there. I'm sure it's really hard. I hope you have a therapist and a psychiatrist. We also have an OCD forum that may (or may not - it's not for everyone, obviously) help - https://www.medhelp.org/forums/Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder-OCD-/show/231
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