Hello Oligarch,

First, let me say I really like your user name. I always had this fantasy about being a member of the Russian oil oligarchy, complete with dacha on the coast (to which I whisk Svetlana, a pale-blue eyed gymnast-turned-lawyer who....).

<Fredo coughs, clears his throat, and tries to stay focused>

Ok, enough silliness and back to business.

I haven't weighed in because you received a number of responses, mostly good ones, but after observing this thread for several days I'll offer my thoughts for what they may be worth.

Having said that...I don't know what to tell you. You already know that most everyone has HPV, the virus is seldom dangerous or much of a problem, most people clear it on their own, and any genital wart you've had diagnosed is virtually certain to be due to either "low risk" HPV 6 or 11. You're also savvy to the fact that cancer is a rare outcome of "high risk" HPV infections, and the slight risk can be almost always be mitigated through regular screening.

HPV testing for men is currently not approved outside of medical research, but it isn't limited to HPV 6 and 11. HPV DNA tests can detect multiple genotypes in both men and women. HPV blood tests also exist, and their basis is type-specific antibody detection (similar to what is done with herpes, another virus that isn't systemic). They have no clinical utility whatsoever, however, and are virtually never found outside of research studies. Accuracy here is questionable, as antibody levels can wax and wane.

I've contributed little. Is there anything else I can add?

Take care and keep us updated, if you will.

Best,
Fredo

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