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HPV transmission through skin cells and water vapor?
Topic: HPV Almost 12 years ago, a female I had intercourse with told me she had HPV. The relationship lasted 2 months. Since this time, I've been married to my wife and have not cheated or anything, her PAPs have been normal after giving birth to two of our children. Because of my past (prior to marriage), last year I had an oral DNA-PCR test done, which was negative.
My random question after reading the internet is: Historically, in the past, I have masturbated in the shower and washed my hands and all. However, if the virus was present, does it attach to water vapor while masturbating or while washing hands, thus increasing the risk for a person to breath the virus and infect their nasal cavity. I understand the virus is skin to skin and this may seem a little "wild," but was curious to get a medical expert's opinion. It appears the virus survives on formite and foamite objects but literature is thin as to if it lives in breathable water vapor. Literature also suggest it is transmissible via water and swimming pools.
I am curious as to if research has identified spread and transmission of HPV through shredding of skin cells by masturbation, which attach to water vapor, thus causing a breathing transmission route into the nasal cavity?
My random question after reading the internet is: Historically, in the past, I have masturbated in the shower and washed my hands and all. However, if the virus was present, does it attach to water vapor while masturbating or while washing hands, thus increasing the risk for a person to breath the virus and infect their nasal cavity. I understand the virus is skin to skin and this may seem a little "wild," but was curious to get a medical expert's opinion. It appears the virus survives on formite and foamite objects but literature is thin as to if it lives in breathable water vapor. Literature also suggest it is transmissible via water and swimming pools.
I am curious as to if research has identified spread and transmission of HPV through shredding of skin cells by masturbation, which attach to water vapor, thus causing a breathing transmission route into the nasal cavity?
Thank you, sir, for your time and explanations.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Yes my "position" remains the same. These sorts of hypotheses in no way fit or explain what is really seen. EWH
Thank you, doctor.
Yes, the biggest driver of this question is guilt of behavior prior to marriage and concern about future outcomes and predispositions.
As a result of concern, the hypothesis of possibly infected skin cells carried by vapor to micro abrasived nasal epithelial tissue was postulated as an explanation of how HPV type 16 or 18 gets into the nasal cavity or possibly lungs.
Does your position still remain the same when broken epithelial tissue is in the nose because of dry weather or broken blood vessels.
Yes, the biggest driver of this question is guilt of behavior prior to marriage and concern about future outcomes and predispositions.
As a result of concern, the hypothesis of possibly infected skin cells carried by vapor to micro abrasived nasal epithelial tissue was postulated as an explanation of how HPV type 16 or 18 gets into the nasal cavity or possibly lungs.
Does your position still remain the same when broken epithelial tissue is in the nose because of dry weather or broken blood vessels.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the Forum. I cannot help but wonder why, after more of a decade of marriage and (?) monogamy, you are worrying about HIV when there is no that you or your wife is infected. Guilt perhaps. You need to be able to move on and I hope that my comments will help you to do this.
It sounds to me as though you have been reading about HPV on the internet- if so, bad idea. While the internet can provide useful information, it is also a common source of mis-information and misunderstanding and this is particularly the case as it related to HPV. Concerns about oral HPV on the internet and espoused by some investigators who are promoting their own research are overblown. If you or your wife had acquired HPV over a decade ago, there is a less than 1% chance that the virus would still be present and active in your body- the immune system is very effective in controlling and eliminating nearly all HPV infections. The idea that you could have persistent infection which could then be spread in aerosols and or water vapor relating to masturbation in the shower or washing your hands afterwards is not a evidence-based concern.
Evidence of the presence of HPV is typically sought in scientific studies using assays for HPV DNA. The presence of HPV DNA however is not the same as evidence of living, infectious virus. Non-viable DNA can persist long after the living virus is no longer present. Many of the studies on HPV as fomites is based on detection of DNA, not the virus and have inflamed anxieties as the authors trumpet that they have found the DNA in a variety of sites.
There is no credible evidence that HPV is aerosolized or spread through water vapor generated in the shower or in bathing. The reason the literature is "thin" is because there no credible evidence that this is a meaningful source of transmission on infection. the virus is almost always transmitted by direct contact, not by other means.
As for evidence of HPV transmission in water or swimming pools, this too sounds like internet fueled mythology, nothing more.
I hope my comments are helpful in putting your concerns about HPV aside. I suspect you need to. EWH
It sounds to me as though you have been reading about HPV on the internet- if so, bad idea. While the internet can provide useful information, it is also a common source of mis-information and misunderstanding and this is particularly the case as it related to HPV. Concerns about oral HPV on the internet and espoused by some investigators who are promoting their own research are overblown. If you or your wife had acquired HPV over a decade ago, there is a less than 1% chance that the virus would still be present and active in your body- the immune system is very effective in controlling and eliminating nearly all HPV infections. The idea that you could have persistent infection which could then be spread in aerosols and or water vapor relating to masturbation in the shower or washing your hands afterwards is not a evidence-based concern.
Evidence of the presence of HPV is typically sought in scientific studies using assays for HPV DNA. The presence of HPV DNA however is not the same as evidence of living, infectious virus. Non-viable DNA can persist long after the living virus is no longer present. Many of the studies on HPV as fomites is based on detection of DNA, not the virus and have inflamed anxieties as the authors trumpet that they have found the DNA in a variety of sites.
There is no credible evidence that HPV is aerosolized or spread through water vapor generated in the shower or in bathing. The reason the literature is "thin" is because there no credible evidence that this is a meaningful source of transmission on infection. the virus is almost always transmitted by direct contact, not by other means.
As for evidence of HPV transmission in water or swimming pools, this too sounds like internet fueled mythology, nothing more.
I hope my comments are helpful in putting your concerns about HPV aside. I suspect you need to. EWH
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
