Ask an Expert: HPV help

Women's Health

HPV help
03/01/2007

Question:

I need some questions answered... i dont understand it the way my doctor explained, so maybe someone here can please, please help me.
My boyfriend and I have been together for 2 years now Sept.05-now. in Jan. 2005 i had my routine pap test and it came back fine, a year later, Jan.2006, i have mild dysplasia --- HPV, therefore my boyfriend obviously does as well.
I am getting a Leep procedure to remove the abnormal cells, though I am getting this, I know there is nothing you can do for the guys!?
I love my boyfriend and he is by my side every step of the way with me through this and I would never want to be without him... no sex for 6-8 weeks after the procedure, thats fine, and this being said, my questions are;
1. after the procedure no sex for 6-8 weeks, but afterwards, once i am "clear", my boyfriend is not!? for how long?? I do not understand this exactly. I know I must use condoms for a long time, but will he ever be cured as well???
2. How long does it take for a man to get HPV gone from his system?? Is he a carrier FOREVER?
3. If we get married, I wont be able to have sex with my husband without a condom? Or will i get re-infected!? Sad
4. Does HPV transfer through oral sex as well since it is in the skin???

Answer:

Your questions and concerns are very common among women and men who have recently been diagnosed with an HPV infection. I have answered your questions in the order you have asked them. Please keep asking questions until you do understand!

1) We know very little about how long this virus stays in the body. We do know more about how long the virus stays in women than in men. For instance, 70% of women will show no signs of the DNA of the virus in a year and 90% of women will show no signs within two years. Only 10% of women go on to have persistent HPV infections.

It is likely that you will show no signs of the virus after 2 years; HOWEVER, it is important that you get tested just in case there are recurrent infections. This is especially important when both partners have been diagnosed with HPV. It is also important that you tell your health care providers in the future about this infection, especially if you become pregnant. This is so that your doctor or nurse can monitor you closely and test for any possibility of recurrences of this HPV infection.

2) We do not have any research to show how long the virus stays in men. It is uncertain how long your boyfriend will have his HPV infection.

3) Condom use among couples who have viral infections such as HPV or genital herpes becomes a personal choice. You may wish to use condoms for a year or two in which most cases of HPV in women have resolved themselves. You may wish to use condoms at all times unless you are trying to get pregnant. This has to be an honest discussion between you and your boyfriend weighing the risks and benefits of those choices. There is a possibility that a reinfection can occur.

4) It is important to note that, yes, you can get HPV through oral sex. HPV is transferred through oral, vaginal, and anal sex. It is also transferred by skin-to-skin contact. So if you have touched your partner's penis when there was an active HPV infection, you could transfer that infection to other parts of his body or your own. Condoms and other latex barriers (such as the female condom and oral sex barriers) only protect the areas that are being covered in the case of this virus.

I have added some websites from the CDC about HPV. You may also want to ask your doctor about the HPV vaccine to see if you are eligible to receive that.

Related Resources:

CDC HPV for Men Web Site
CDC HPV vaccine
CDC HPV Web Site

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Response by:

Victoria von Sadovszky, PhD
Assistant Professor
College of Nursing
The Ohio State University