I have questions about HPV

[waxrebel]

I'm a 38 year old male, in a long term relationship and have a few questions about HPV.
Apologies if they are silly, but I have little knowledge around this virus and would like to educate myself.

In my teens,I would regularly masterbate. Sometimes I would use my own spit as a lubricant. I know HPV is present in the mouth and on the genitals, which leads me to my question:

1. could I have transferred HPV from my spit onto my genitals?

2. Could this then manifest as a disease later on in life, such as cancer?

3. Also if it's possible, am I putting my partner at risk during intercourse, because of my actions in my teens?

Many thanks for your help

[waxrebel]

Thanks for your answers.
I had read that HPV comes in different strains and can be found in the throat, mouth, hands, genitals etc.
I think I was just a bit worried that I could have had a particular strain in my mouth and transferred it to other areas and then inadvertantly infected a partner.

I appreciate you taking the time to answer it, I feel a little more clued up now. Thank you :)

[auntiejessi]

The strains that affect your hands, feet, elbows, etc., are not the same strains that affect your mouth or genitals. There are certain strains that cause plantar warts on your feet, for example, and that's all they cause. The strains that cause genital warts only cause genital warts. There are a few strains that cause oral cancers or genital cancers, but don't affect any other parts of your body.

You don't need to worry about transferring it that way. If you hadn't had sex at the time, you're fine, and it doesn't transmit that way. :)

[auntiejessi]

I agree - you can't give it to yourself this way. Just like the cold or the flu, you have to be exposed to get it.

While HPV can be in the throat, you can't have it there if you haven't had exposure from giving oral sex.

HPV has several different strains that affect the genitals and throat, and not all of them present with warts. Many give no symptoms, but for all of them, you do have to be exposed to them by actually having sexual contact with someone else.

If you don't have HPV, you can't give it to someone else.

Has your current partner had previous partners? You could get it from them.

I'd suggest talking to your doctor about the vaccine if you are under 26. Your partner should do the same.

[auntiejessi]

Oh oops - I just saw that you were 38. Your doctor might still give you the vaccine, but it's not likely.

Is this your only partner in your life? If it isn't, you could have it from a previous partner, but not from what you did as a teen.

[GuitarRox]

Your fear is that you gave HPV to yourself through your own spit?  HPV is extremely common.   And no, giving it to yourself is not something you should worry about.  If you have sex with anyone, you should always worry about std's that you can give and get. But if you can't give it to yourself . . .  you didn't have it out of thin air.  So, really, worrying about that sounds like anxiety.  If you have sex with another person, use protection for both of your sakes. Remember, hpv is warts.  Do you actually have warts on your genitals?  And what about the vaccine?  More and more young adults have the vaccine.