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What Are The Symptoms Of HPV Infection?
Question: Hi,
I am a bisexual male, although I haven't had any sexual contact with another male in 2 years. About 6 months after my last encounter ( I waited for HIV test) I had and STD panel and everything came back negative including gonarrhea. They did not do an oral swab of my throat however. Now, my wife is having some issues according to her doctor with her cervix and some abdominal pressure. Question: could this be related to my sexual indiscretions so long ago or am I in the clear. My research tells me that gonarrhea clears itself and I should be okay at this point, but I'm still very worried.
I am a bisexual male, although I haven't had any sexual contact with another male in 2 years. About 6 months after my last encounter ( I waited for HIV test) I had and STD panel and everything came back negative including gonarrhea. They did not do an oral swab of my throat however. Now, my wife is having some issues according to her doctor with her cervix and some abdominal pressure. Question: could this be related to my sexual indiscretions so long ago or am I in the clear. My research tells me that gonarrhea clears itself and I should be okay at this point, but I'm still very worried.
Brief Answer:
Genital Hpv could be one possibility but it needs to be confirmed
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing to us.
I have taken note of your query and i hope you will find my reply up to your satisfaction.
I would like to know whether have you ever been diagnosed or tested positive for an STD other than your last screening tests which came out as negative?
Since you waited for 6 months after this particular sexual contact with a male before getting involved sexually with your wife, it is unlikely for an STD to remain hidden for so long without any signs or symptoms EXCEPT Hpv infection.
This possibility need to be considered.
There is no test as yet approved to detect asymptomatic Hpv infection in males unless a male develops visible warts. Therefore it is unlikely that you would have ever been tested for Hpv.
Hpv can remain hidden for months (incubation period varies from a few days to 20 months) and in the mean time can transmit to other sexual partners.
Hpv can infect cervix and cause certain cell changes which can be detected by routine Pap smear.
Having said that the condition affecting her cervix may not necessarily be due to Hpv and it is just a speculation right now without getting to know the exact details as to what is the real issue.
I would like to know what is the issue with her cervix that was discovered by her doctor? This would be of some help in relating it your history.
Regards
Genital Hpv could be one possibility but it needs to be confirmed
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing to us.
I have taken note of your query and i hope you will find my reply up to your satisfaction.
I would like to know whether have you ever been diagnosed or tested positive for an STD other than your last screening tests which came out as negative?
Since you waited for 6 months after this particular sexual contact with a male before getting involved sexually with your wife, it is unlikely for an STD to remain hidden for so long without any signs or symptoms EXCEPT Hpv infection.
This possibility need to be considered.
There is no test as yet approved to detect asymptomatic Hpv infection in males unless a male develops visible warts. Therefore it is unlikely that you would have ever been tested for Hpv.
Hpv can remain hidden for months (incubation period varies from a few days to 20 months) and in the mean time can transmit to other sexual partners.
Hpv can infect cervix and cause certain cell changes which can be detected by routine Pap smear.
Having said that the condition affecting her cervix may not necessarily be due to Hpv and it is just a speculation right now without getting to know the exact details as to what is the real issue.
I would like to know what is the issue with her cervix that was discovered by her doctor? This would be of some help in relating it your history.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Thanks for the reply. I believe I was sexually active with my wife in the six months before the test. I had only oral sex with the male and felt that was pretty safe. I did not consider oral gonarrhea at the time.
According to the CDC, hpv can stay dormant for many years. I have even read on other sites that it could be dormant for decades and then show up on pap smear thus the need for pap smears for older women. Do you concur?
A doctor did examine my wife. She said that her cervix appeared a bit red and swollen. She said that they would wait for the results from her pap smear before any other testing.
Thanks.
I forgot to answer one question. I have never tested positive for any STD.
I also have another question. I selected a sexual disease expert to answer my question, but I see that you are a dermatologist. Why did you get my question?
According to the CDC, hpv can stay dormant for many years. I have even read on other sites that it could be dormant for decades and then show up on pap smear thus the need for pap smears for older women. Do you concur?
A doctor did examine my wife. She said that her cervix appeared a bit red and swollen. She said that they would wait for the results from her pap smear before any other testing.
Thanks.
I forgot to answer one question. I have never tested positive for any STD.
I also have another question. I selected a sexual disease expert to answer my question, but I see that you are a dermatologist. Why did you get my question?
Brief Answer:
Redness and swelling of cervix could be due to STD or it could be non-specific cervicitis
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
I am a dermatologist as well as a venereologist. I did my MD in Skin and STD's and therefore i am qualified to answer queries related to sexually transmitted diseases including HIV.
Thank you for more information and clarifications. You said that you waited for HIV test...it somehow sounded to me that you were not sexually active for 6 months preceding test.
Since you were sexually active during the 6 months preceding the test therefore there is a likely possibility of passing on throat gonorrhea (in case you had acquired) to your wife if you gave oral sex to her. And if she did acquire gonorrhea through oral sex then possibly you could have also got it back from her through unprotected peno-vaginal sex.
Yes, Hpv can stay dormant for months and most people don't actually know that they have Hpv.
Most genital Hpv is caused by 4 Hpv types i.e type 6, 11, 16, 18.
Type 6 and 11 cause 90% of genital Hpv infection which is benign whereas types 16 and 18 cause genital Hpv infection with a potential for turning into carcinoma in future.
Most Hpv infection is self resolving with body's own immunity taking care of Hpv. Therefore most of the infected individuals are eventually free of infection at 1 year after it was acquired.
Only a small percentage of genital Hpv infection with type 16 and 18 persists for longer than an year or two and subsequently turns into cervical cancer, the remaining are self resolving.
Here comes the significance of regular Pap smear in sexually active women as a screen for cervical cancer.
Cervical redness and swelling could also be due to an STD like gonorrhea/chlamydia (if we assume that you had throat gonorrhea) or it could also be due to non-specific inflammation and not necessarily an STD.
Considering that the cervix is inflammed I think there is a case here for a swab test for gonorrhea and chlamydia in her. That would either confirm or rule out these.
Since inflammation of cervix can also cause atypical cell changes(similar to cancer) & therefore the Pap smear should be repeated once the inflammation has resolved.
I think her doctor would most likely put her on oral antibiotics and if the first Pap smear shows atypical cell changes the doctor would do a repeat Pap smear to see if the atypical cell changes have resolved and if they do then that indicates the cervicitis was the reason for atypical cell changes.
However, in case the atypical cell changes persist there would be a necessity to test her for specific Hpv types (i.e type 16, 18, 31, 33 which are cancer causing Hpv types)
Regards
Redness and swelling of cervix could be due to STD or it could be non-specific cervicitis
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
I am a dermatologist as well as a venereologist. I did my MD in Skin and STD's and therefore i am qualified to answer queries related to sexually transmitted diseases including HIV.
Thank you for more information and clarifications. You said that you waited for HIV test...it somehow sounded to me that you were not sexually active for 6 months preceding test.
Since you were sexually active during the 6 months preceding the test therefore there is a likely possibility of passing on throat gonorrhea (in case you had acquired) to your wife if you gave oral sex to her. And if she did acquire gonorrhea through oral sex then possibly you could have also got it back from her through unprotected peno-vaginal sex.
Yes, Hpv can stay dormant for months and most people don't actually know that they have Hpv.
Most genital Hpv is caused by 4 Hpv types i.e type 6, 11, 16, 18.
Type 6 and 11 cause 90% of genital Hpv infection which is benign whereas types 16 and 18 cause genital Hpv infection with a potential for turning into carcinoma in future.
Most Hpv infection is self resolving with body's own immunity taking care of Hpv. Therefore most of the infected individuals are eventually free of infection at 1 year after it was acquired.
Only a small percentage of genital Hpv infection with type 16 and 18 persists for longer than an year or two and subsequently turns into cervical cancer, the remaining are self resolving.
Here comes the significance of regular Pap smear in sexually active women as a screen for cervical cancer.
Cervical redness and swelling could also be due to an STD like gonorrhea/chlamydia (if we assume that you had throat gonorrhea) or it could also be due to non-specific inflammation and not necessarily an STD.
Considering that the cervix is inflammed I think there is a case here for a swab test for gonorrhea and chlamydia in her. That would either confirm or rule out these.
Since inflammation of cervix can also cause atypical cell changes(similar to cancer) & therefore the Pap smear should be repeated once the inflammation has resolved.
I think her doctor would most likely put her on oral antibiotics and if the first Pap smear shows atypical cell changes the doctor would do a repeat Pap smear to see if the atypical cell changes have resolved and if they do then that indicates the cervicitis was the reason for atypical cell changes.
However, in case the atypical cell changes persist there would be a necessity to test her for specific Hpv types (i.e type 16, 18, 31, 33 which are cancer causing Hpv types)
Regards
Note: Consult a Sexual Diseases Specialist online for further follow up- Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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