Hi there-

I just found out I have HPV. I have had it for 18+ years. I had a gential wart removed 18 years ago, but the physician never explained the cause, HPV. Recently I have been incurring a lot of stress (failing marriage) and I had another wart reappear. This is like putting icing on the cake with the condition my wife and I are currently in. We have been married for 10 years, together for 11 years and two beautiful children. She has had regular PAP smears and everything has been normal. My warts are at the base of the penis, flat in nature, just look like discolorizations in the skin. I never lied to my wife, I was just never informed. I am a well educated male, who now feels ashamed, humiliated and depressed that I did not understand the cause.

Since the reappearance of the warts, my wife has had a PAP w/DNA HPV test which came back normal. My question is will the PAP detect all types of HPV? Even if I did not have an outbreak, I could still pass on the virus? I am trying to ease her mind, hoping it will maybe help our situtation.

Please let me konw.

Hi again,



Paps don't look directly for HPV infections. Rather, they can find abnormal cell changes (such as those caused by HPV). Paps can often detect cells that look pretty typical of what you'd expect an HPV-infected cell to look like, but it still isn't a direct test for the virus. A woman with HPV who has no abnormal cell changes will have a normal Pap test result, even though she has the HPV virus. The key is whether or not the virus is doing anything, that is, if any abnormal cells are present. Keep in mind that the vast majority of women with HPV never have even a single abnormal Pap as a result!



HPV can be transmitted even in the absence of visible symptoms, yes. Keep in mind sometimes this involves symptoms that are tiny and difficult to detect. In most cases, though, a partner remains asymptomatic themselves and eventually clears the infection. Not always, of course, but that's the common scenario.

Keep posting. We'll answer as best as we can.

Best,
Fredo

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ASHA Moderator

Thank you, this helps me to understand the virus a little more.

I have one other question, do NSAID's reduce the immune system? I am on Aleve, have been now for 3 years, I was just couriuos if this could be a factor as to why my body is not clearing the virus.

I don't know, but it's an interesting possibility. The NSAID class of drugs (which includes Aleve) are anti-inflammatory and work by suppressing the immune system. Also, some of the conditions they treat (like rheumatoid arthritis) can themselves suppress the immune system. Have you asked your doctor about this?

One of my HPV medical advisors is willing to exchange an email or two with you. If you'd like his email address write to forums@ashastd.org using the email account with which you registered.

Best,
Fredo

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ASHA Moderator

Fredo-

I know this question probably has been asked before, but seeing my wife and I have been dealing with "low-risk" HPV for 11 years is there a higher risk of contracting HPV when warts are present or when there not? If I understand it, I have HPV no matter if I have visible signs and I can pass it on with or without the signs, is there a greater risk when the warts are present?

Please let me know.

I think most experts would say transmission is probably enhanced by the presence of lesions, as that would represent a fairly large viral reservoir right on the topmost layer of skin. I don't think this has really been proven, though, and the key point is that most HPV infections are acquired from a partner who has no visible symptoms and no clue they have the virus.

Also, symptoms can be really small and hard to see (sometimes even difficult to detect on a medical exam) so "asymptomatic" transmission can often really be a case of symptoms that are overlooked.

Best,
Fredo

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ASHA Moderator