HPV Infection and Relationships

An estimated 80% of sexually active people will have HPV at some point in their lives. Here’s the most common questions I get daily with real answers….

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What is HPV?

• Human Papillomavirus is the group of viruses that infect the skin.

• There are over 100 types. Low-risk and high-risk types.

• Depending on the type it can cause warts on hands, feet or genitals.

• Or cancer of the head and neck, penis, anus and precancerous cervical lesions (dysplasia) or cervical cancer.

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How do I find out if I have HPV?

• With a Pap test and/or a high-risk HPV test depending on your age and history.

• We don't routinely screen for low-risk HPV which is typically known to cause genital warts since we only treat at the time of symptoms and don't suspect it to cause cervical cancer.

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Is HPV dangerous?

• In most cases, the virus is harmless and most people have no symptoms. The body clears most HPV infections naturally.

• Certain high-risk strains of HPV cause cervical lesions that, over a period of time, usually many years, can develop into cancer if untreated.

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How is HPV spread?

• HPV is spread by direct, skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal or (possibly) oral sex with someone who has an infection. HPV can infect anyone who has ever had a sexual encounter.

• Since HPV is spread through skin-to-skin contact and not through the exchange of bodily fluids, condoms can reduce, but not totally eliminate, the risk of HPV transmission.

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Can I still spread HPV if I don't have symptoms?

Usually high-risk HPV has no symptoms. HPV can be contracted from one partner, remain dormant (or “asleep”), and then later be unknowingly transmitted to another sexual partner so it can be difficult to say who gave it to who.

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Does my male partner need to get tested if I test positive for high-risk HPV?

•There is no diagnostic test that can accurately determine whether a man is carrying an HPV infection. And even if he does, there is no way to treat him for the virus. According to recent guidelines drafted by the CDC, “examination of sex partners is not necessary” as follow-up to an abnormal Pap test. It’s certainly possible that the partner is or has been infected with the virus, although highly unlikely that he will ever show any symptoms. Nor is it possible to determine whether he can spread HPV to a future partner.

•In the United States, there are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved tests clinically available to detect HPV infection of oropharyngeal, anal, or male genital specimens. There are also no FDA-approved serological or blood tests to detect HPV infection.

There is not a test to check someone’s “HPV status”, so don’t ask your partner to get tested because it’s not going to happen!

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Will I pass the virus back and forth to my partner?

Most sexually active couples share HPV until the immune response suppresses the infection. Partners who are sexually intimate only with each other are not likely to pass the same virus back and forth. When HPV infection goes away the immune system will remember that HPV type and keep a new infection of the same HPV type from occurring again. However, because there are many different types of HPV, becoming immune to one HPV type may not protect you from getting HPV again if exposed to another HPV type.

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Does HPV ever completely go away?

In some cases the virus apparently does remain in the body indefinitely, able to produce symptoms if the immune system weakens.Your natural immunity and antibodies from the vaccine make recurrences less frequent and often eliminating them entirely within about two years. If you have a weakened immune system due to use of certain medications, HIV infection, or by some temporary trauma such as excessive stress, serious illness, or surgery it can cause recurrence. Overall, most people with good immune systems may be able to clear the virus from their system eventually.

Hope this clears up some questions and as always, Get your Pap smear so you know you’re in the clear!

Dr. E 💛

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