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Hi there,
Welcome to our forum. We're glad you joined us.
Cell changes associated with HPV do recur in some cases, and this is not unusual. When they do recur, they show varying degrees of persistence. Some people may experience only one episode, while others may experience several. However, most people's immune systems, with time, seem to gain control over HPV, making recurrences less frequent and usually eliminating them eventually.
While this hasn't been studied in great detail re: HPV, you may want to look at lifestyle issues such as managing stress and fatigue, eating a healthy diet, moderate exercise, not smoking (this one IS important with HPV) or drinking too much, or perhaps taking a multivitamin. Some experts recommend diets rich in B vitamins and beta-carotene. While none of these suggestions are therapies for HPV itself, this might be a way to help your immune system help you.
The exact risks of contracting HPV through oral sex are currently unknown. It may be possible to contract HPV through performing oral sex, though the mouth appears to be a less hospitable environment for HPV than the genital area. Each type of HPV tends to infect a specific skin area, making it less likely for genital types of HPV to become established and create disease orally. A common recommendation is not to perform oral sex on a partner with genital HPV while lesions are present.
The immune system is thought to assert itself over time and actually reduce the virus to very low levels. When this happens, it isn't clear to researchers if HPV is eliminated completely, or simply at a point where it's undetectable. There is no way to predict when this natural suppression may occur, however, and the virus may be contagious to a new partner in the meantime. Still, HPV does not appear to be persistent in most cases.
In regard to cervical HPV, if a person has been successfully treated (if needed) and has had no cervical abnormalities for a year or more, some experts would consider the risk of HPV transmission with a new partner to be extremely low.
Unfortunately, it is not known how long the period of being contagious may last, or when HPV could recur. However, the virus does seem to be transient for most.
I hope this helps. Visit often, post when you have something on your mind, and don't forget we're here for you.
All the best, Fredo
_________________ ASHA Moderator
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