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HPV - Genital Wart Questions.
Hi there, I have a few questions about HPV - Genital Warts.
1) I was with a man who told me had genital warts. He has had two outbreaks in approximately 15 years from when he thinks he contracted it from his girlfriend at the time. At the time I was dating him he did not have any visible warts and his outbreak was approximately a year and a half to two years prior. However, I was really nervous about it so we did not have sex. He did however put his fingers in me on several occasions and on at least one occasion lubricated his finger with his saliva before putting it in me. So. my question is can HPV be contracted this way via fingers and saliva? If so what is the likelihood of transmission this way? I was under the assumption genital to genital contact was usually required before warts could be passed on.
2). I had the pap and physical exam while I was still with him shortly before we broke up and nothing unusual came back as a result of the pap - would it have been too soon to notice any abnormalities in a pap if I did have genital warts? We have been broken up for about 2 months now. However, more recently (and after my dr. app) I noticed a line of bumps along the side of my vagina near the opening. One of them looks almost like a finger or skin tag. And they seem to be further down which makes them difficult to see. These are really tiny skin coloured, or maybe a bit lighter. They do appear to be in a linear pattern and I've been pretty itchy not just in the spot where I see the bumps but all over that area. The other side of my vagina along the opening does not really appear to have the same thing but I think I may have seen similar bumps just nothing that sticks out like the finger one I described.
I'm not sure whether these are genital warts or whether they are papules or something along those lines. I guess given my exposure to what I think could have transmitted HPV to me I'm a bit scared.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
1) I was with a man who told me had genital warts. He has had two outbreaks in approximately 15 years from when he thinks he contracted it from his girlfriend at the time. At the time I was dating him he did not have any visible warts and his outbreak was approximately a year and a half to two years prior. However, I was really nervous about it so we did not have sex. He did however put his fingers in me on several occasions and on at least one occasion lubricated his finger with his saliva before putting it in me. So. my question is can HPV be contracted this way via fingers and saliva? If so what is the likelihood of transmission this way? I was under the assumption genital to genital contact was usually required before warts could be passed on.
2). I had the pap and physical exam while I was still with him shortly before we broke up and nothing unusual came back as a result of the pap - would it have been too soon to notice any abnormalities in a pap if I did have genital warts? We have been broken up for about 2 months now. However, more recently (and after my dr. app) I noticed a line of bumps along the side of my vagina near the opening. One of them looks almost like a finger or skin tag. And they seem to be further down which makes them difficult to see. These are really tiny skin coloured, or maybe a bit lighter. They do appear to be in a linear pattern and I've been pretty itchy not just in the spot where I see the bumps but all over that area. The other side of my vagina along the opening does not really appear to have the same thing but I think I may have seen similar bumps just nothing that sticks out like the finger one I described.
I'm not sure whether these are genital warts or whether they are papules or something along those lines. I guess given my exposure to what I think could have transmitted HPV to me I'm a bit scared.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
A related discussion, i am so glad i read your message was started.
Hi Dr,
Wanted to follow up - I went to a sex clinic and was advised that what I described in my post was not genital warts like you advised. She told me that the symmetrical nature as well as the appearance of them were not indicative of genital warts. They were normal and told me I likely had them for years but never noticed. My only concern is she did not know with certainty what they were but knew they were "normal" so I guess that's all I need to know. I don't think there is any reason to get them removed and to be honest I don't know whether it is an option. In any event, I thought I'd follow up and let you know you were correct.
Thanks again.
Wanted to follow up - I went to a sex clinic and was advised that what I described in my post was not genital warts like you advised. She told me that the symmetrical nature as well as the appearance of them were not indicative of genital warts. They were normal and told me I likely had them for years but never noticed. My only concern is she did not know with certainty what they were but knew they were "normal" so I guess that's all I need to know. I don't think there is any reason to get them removed and to be honest I don't know whether it is an option. In any event, I thought I'd follow up and let you know you were correct.
Thanks again.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello again. Sorry for the split response.
Continuing my response to the first paragraph of your question: HPV in theory could be transmitted by hand-genital contact, and such exposures may help explain rare genital HPV found in some virgins. But if it occurs, it is very rare.
As for the genital area "bumps" you have found, the description doesn't sound like warts -- both the finger-like appearance (which indeed suggest skin tags, or perhaps a condition called vestibular papillomatosis, not an abnormal condition. Also, the symmetrical nature of the lesions, i.e. similar ones on both sides, is strong evidence against warts. But I really can't speculate further; you'll have to be professionally examined to sort this out. But even in the unlikely chance you have warts, almost certainly they have nothing to do with your partner's distant past history of genital warts. Too much time has passed.
As for being "scared" of HPV, that's never appropriate. As a sexually active human being, you can assume you have had (and may still have) one or more genital HPV infections. It's pretty much unavoidable. For more discussion about HPV and why you shouldn't be worried, take a look at the thread linked below -- which also includes links to several more discussions.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/HPV-concerns/show/1819004
I hope this has helped. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Continuing my response to the first paragraph of your question: HPV in theory could be transmitted by hand-genital contact, and such exposures may help explain rare genital HPV found in some virgins. But if it occurs, it is very rare.
As for the genital area "bumps" you have found, the description doesn't sound like warts -- both the finger-like appearance (which indeed suggest skin tags, or perhaps a condition called vestibular papillomatosis, not an abnormal condition. Also, the symmetrical nature of the lesions, i.e. similar ones on both sides, is strong evidence against warts. But I really can't speculate further; you'll have to be professionally examined to sort this out. But even in the unlikely chance you have warts, almost certainly they have nothing to do with your partner's distant past history of genital warts. Too much time has passed.
As for being "scared" of HPV, that's never appropriate. As a sexually active human being, you can assume you have had (and may still have) one or more genital HPV infections. It's pretty much unavoidable. For more discussion about HPV and why you shouldn't be worried, take a look at the thread linked below -- which also includes links to several more discussions.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/HPV-concerns/show/1819004
I hope this has helped. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Thanks Dr - I should qualify a few comments I made. The first being that it does appear i have the same thing on the other side, the one that sticks out the most is the farthest down. Second, these things I am seeing almost look prickly not all of them but some - not sure whether that makes sense they are flesh coloured or a bit white ish or light.
Look forward to your response.
Thanks.
Look forward to your response.
Thanks.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.
I'm sorry to hear you limited your sexual expression with your partner on the basis of his ancient history of genital warts. There was no need; it is very unlikely he was still infected with the virus (at least not in a form that can be transmitted) so many years later. Even if you had had an abnormal pap smear, I would not have attributed it to that exposure.
I'm on an airplane and need to shut this down as they close the door. I'll return with a more complete response in 2-3 hours. In the meantime, from what I understand so far, I think you should be having no worries about genital HPV at this time.
Regards-- HHH, MD
I'm sorry to hear you limited your sexual expression with your partner on the basis of his ancient history of genital warts. There was no need; it is very unlikely he was still infected with the virus (at least not in a form that can be transmitted) so many years later. Even if you had had an abnormal pap smear, I would not have attributed it to that exposure.
I'm on an airplane and need to shut this down as they close the door. I'll return with a more complete response in 2-3 hours. In the meantime, from what I understand so far, I think you should be having no worries about genital HPV at this time.
Regards-- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
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