I just found out that I have "high-risk" HPV and currently show no symptoms. My question is- can I give a sexual partner gential warts even though i don't have them? From my research, they are call "low-risk" HPV. My friend has these warts and we are unsure if i gave them to him or not because according to my doctor they are different. Please help!

From what I've read...

"low-risk" hpv = visible, external genital warts and can also cause mild abnormal pap tests. This doesn't mean that if you have mild dysplasia that it automatically means you have "low-risk". "High-risk" hpv can also cause mild dysplasia.

"high-risk" hpv = Causes abnormal cell changes in the genital skin, mainly the woman's cervix. Now, I personally have read that some high-risk hpv's can cause flat warts, but from what I hear, it's not common. I've had HPV for about a year, and just found out a week ago that I have high risk (and assuming I do not have low risk). I've never shown any visible warts that I'm aware of. Everytime I've gone in for my follow-up paps, I get an all clear on the gw front. I posed this very question a while back over here:

http://www.ashastd.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=435

Just scroll down a bit, and you'll find Fredo's response to me in regards to that question.

It's possible that your friend has contracted another strain of the virus from someone other then yourself. A person can have more then one strain...including low and high risks...at the same time. It can lay dormant even for years in a person's system, so it's really hard to say where he may have gotten in from. Unless he was a virgin when you were together...and when I mean virgin, that he never even rubbed genitals, or touched someone down there then touched himself right afterwards. If you haven't yet, I suggest checking out this site's info on the virus right here:
http://www.ashastd.org/hpv/hpv_learn.cfm

You may want to direct your friend to it, too, in case he has any concerns/questions.

I'm afraid I'm not really good at this since I'm answering based on what I've heard/read. I'm hoping I didn't make you feel worse! lol! However, I'm sure Fredo can help answer your questions better then I can. He's often been a comfort for me whenever I've posted on this board.

Hi Lish,

"High risk" HPV types, as Rogue said, aren't the ones you associate with external genital warts. It's usually very hard to determine when HPV was contracted, or even from which partner.

Couples are generally thought to share HPV infection(s) although this can be hard to prove. When HPV is shared in a relationship the risk of "ping ponging" the virus back and forth in a pattern of reinfection is probably not great, but some studies do indicate that using condoms can help clear the virus a bit more quickly (why this may be true isn't totally clear).

Hope this helps, but let us know if not.

Fredo

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ASHA Moderator

Yes you both really did help. However, now I am very concerned. Since, my friend did not get this from me, i want to prevent from getting it from him. Espeically since it is the visable type. We live 4 hours from each other and we always visit each other. I have already booked a plane ticket to visit him in 2 weeks (and i made it before all this happened), now i KNOW i don't want to do anything with him due to this occurance. Is there anyway to prevent from getting this even if he doesnt't have a break out? Thank you for your help!

There is no way for sexually active couples to be 100% protected from HPV. Condoms do have value in reducing the risks of transmission, as one study (R. Winer et al.) found that using them consistently resulted in young women being 70% less likely to contract HPV. However, HPV can exist on skin that condoms don't cover and "consistent, correct" condom use doesn't always happen in the real world.

Some experts believe that removing genital warts may lower the risk of transmission since it reduces the areas of tissue that contain most of the virus. Removing warts cannot guarantee that the risk of transmission is removed. However, if no symptoms recur in the subsequent months following treatment, the chance of transmission dramatically decreases, and some researchers consider the possibility of being contagious during this time would be minimal to remote.

Fredo

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ASHA Moderator