I just got back from the doctor, and he said what I thought was molluscum after internet research was actually a wart. He burned it off but did not have the best bedside manner, I don't feel like I understand it all.
Apparently you always have HPV, but if the warts don't return will I be able to have sex ever again safely? This is all very upsetting because I always used a condom and feel like I only could have gotten it if it was through oral or the condom slipped off partially. I'm freaking out please help.

HPV is most often cleared by the immune system, or at least suppressed to undetectable levels. While this remains unproven, most experts we're aware of believe the risks of transmission with a new partner likely diminish greatly in one who has gone several months, or maybe a year or so, with no additional lesions (like warts or cell changes). There is no way to know for sure if or when this happens with an individual case, though, which is frustrating.

Condoms are good protection for the skin they cover, but their limitation with HPV is that the skin not covered is susceptible. Also, sometimes there is genital contact before the condom is used. Oral sex is not a likely means of contracting genital HPV.

Read the thread at http://www.ashastd.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=394 for more on this.

Post anytime you have questions. This can all be very disturbing in the beginning, when you're flooded with questions that usually don't have answers that are as clear as you'd like. We're here to help!

Best,
Fredo

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ASHA Moderator

One of my families had cervical cancer that was diagnosed 8 years ago. In the start, the doctor performed a pap smear, and from this, diagnosed her with cervical cancer. He gave her 10 to 12 years to live. But after researching cervical cancer, I discovered that cervical cancer was typically caused by HPV and there are treatments, it's curable. So how the doctors tell people 5-years to live?

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Addiction Recovery

Hi Nancy,

There are different stages of cervical cancer, some more advanced than others, and each stage has different expected outcomes. Unless the cancer is invasive, though, it's usually very treatable with good long-term survival rates.

Read more on the website of the American Cancer Society (home of great information and the world's longest URL's!):

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_How_is_cervical_cancer_staged_8.asp?rnav=cri

Hope this helps.

Best,
Fredo

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ASHA Moderator