I'm a 27 yr old female with low risk hpv. The diagnosis had sent me into a deep depression. I developed gw at age 23, after breaking up with my boyfriend (my first lover), who had cheated on me. I'm still struggling with the feeling of betrayal, and anger that resulted from being the "good girl" who waited to lose her virginity in a serious adult relationship, (got herself & bf tested for "everything" before having sex), only to be cursed with hpv for the rest of my life.
Anyhow, I am now engaged to a man who truly loves me, and we both want to start a family soon. The problem is, the gw keep coming back!! I feel guilty for putting my fiance at risk of developing gw. How are he and I supposed to have a family when I can't clear the virus? I had spent my life looking forward to motherhood, now the thought of it causes me anxiety. I doubt I will be able to conceive when I want to (before I turn 29) since I should wait till the virus clears first. I am terrified of passing on the virus to the baby (rrp). I now have a great fear of childbirth because of gw. After the gw clear how long should I wait before getting pregnant? Even if there were no gw for years, will I have another outbreak while pregnant? Are outbreaks that happen during pregnancy worse than regular outbreaks of gw? Does gw cause added pain, or complications during childbirth? Is there anything expecting mothers can do to reduce the chances of rrp in children?
And if anyone has advice on how to deal with the horrible feeling of being betrayed and cheated out of a normal happy healthy sex life, please share.

Hi Lily,

Sorry for taking so long to respond and that things are so difficult right now. Have you talked with your doctor about the recurrences, to see if there's anything they suggest you do? Sometimes looking at lifestyle factors - smoking, diet, stress, not enough sleep - can be helpful. There is also evidence that one of the treatments for warts, aldara, can reduce recurrences. You might see if he or she has any thoughts about that. Understand we're not recommending this or any specific approach to treatment, as there can be side effects, less effective for some, blah blah... Just that it might be worth a discussion.

RRP is a very rare condition, and the juvenile onset variety is also rare even when a mother has warts present at delivery. This is something to be aware of, to be sure, but probably not a deal breaker regarding having a baby. Recurrences do sometimes happen during pregnancy, which is understandable as the immune system is suppressed during this time, but they often resolve naturally when the pregnancy is over.

HPV is so common, that almost every sexually active person has one or more infections over their lifetimes. Relatively few cases result in visible symptoms. You and your partner can use condoms if you want until you decide it's time to become pregnant. Condoms don't offer 100% protection against HPV but a latex barrier is good for the skin it covers (the issue is not the condom so much as the skin it doesn't cover).

I wish I had more to offer. Please post as often as you want and we'll keep chatting.

Best to you,
Fredo


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I'm a 27 yr old female with low risk hpv. The diagnosis had sent me into a deep depression. I developed gw at age 23, after breaking up with my boyfriend (my first lover), who had cheated on me. I'm still struggling with the feeling of betrayal, and anger that resulted from being the "good girl" who waited to lose her virginity in a serious adult relationship, (got herself & bf tested for "everything" before having sex), only to be cursed with hpv for the rest of my life.
Anyhow, I am now engaged to a man who truly loves me, and we both want to start a family soon. The problem is, the gw keep coming back!! I feel guilty for putting my fiance at risk of developing gw. How are he and I supposed to have a family when I can't clear the virus? I had spent my life looking forward to motherhood, now the thought of it causes me anxiety. I doubt I will be able to conceive when I want to (before I turn 29) since I should wait till the virus clears first. I am terrified of passing on the virus to the baby (rrp). I now have a great fear of childbirth because of gw. After the gw clear how long should I wait before getting pregnant? Even if there were no gw for years, will I have another outbreak while pregnant? Are outbreaks that happen during pregnancy worse than regular outbreaks of gw? Does gw cause added pain, or complications during childbirth? Is there anything expecting mothers can do to reduce the chances of rrp in children?
And if anyone has advice on how to deal with the horrible feeling of being betrayed and cheated out of a normal happy healthy sex life, please share.

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ASHA Moderator