I thought that HPV was more transient. My understanding is that the virus is most often resolved by the body but that in a smaller percentage of infections, it can remain for an undetermined amount of time, possibly a lifetime. Could you e-mail me more on this?

This answer is not totally accurate. The vast majority of HPV cases are cleared by the body usually within a year or two, and genital warts, cervical, and penile cacers are extremely rare given that over 60% of the population will have one strain of HPV at one point in their lives. The strains most likely to cause cervical cancer are 12 and 14, and the strain primarily responsible for warts (genital and all other areas of the body) is 6. While HPV can be serious, ongoing health problem, the vast majority of cases resolve on their on and pose little health risk.

This answer is very inaccurate! I was diagnosed over a year ago and was told it would clear up in approx. 16 months. My doctor said as long as I had routine check ups, I really had nothing to worry about. As well as my boyfriend. I was also told by 2 OBGYN doctors that your body then become resistent to that specfic string of HPV.
Her response to the question is accurate for certain stings, but very few. She almost makes it sounds like a death sentence. I know many girls who have had this, and they end up being fine. Not that I am bashing safe sex!

I believe this author is confusing HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus) with HPV. She mentions “carriers” and “outbreaks” and seems to beleive once infected, the individual will have it for life. They’re both viral STIs, but that’s about it. Not sure where this “doctor” got this information.

I have HPV and i go in for check-ups every six months. no abnormal paps in over a year

Dr. Fulbright; You are the best, and a Beautiful woman also I may add. Dr. If I were to contract genital warts from my ex-wife and they were removed with no reaccurance, am I a carrier and am I forever with the virus. Thanks, and once again you are The best. P.S. I hear your a wonderful Kisser. Thanks James

As a followup question to the one on HPV transmission, I have been asking this question since the Texas Governor ruined his political career attempting to mandate HPV vaccination for teenaged girls a couple of years back.

Is the vaccine effective if administered to males?

Aside from the totalitarian idea that young women should be subjected to a new vaccine against their and their parents wills, as the vast majority of sexual contact is heterosexual, wouldn’t males being innoculated against this family of virii also be effective – if not more effective? This would seem especially useful as it is also true the average number of sexual partners is something on the order of 4-5 times as high for males in America and thus any STD is more dependent on male transmission vectors from that aspect alone – and women are far more likely to contract most STD’s from single exposures than men.

As a concerned long-past-teenage man, I’d always want to do anything I could to prevent transmission of a disease that is so peculiarly risky for women and would certainly consider voluntarily being innoculated for it.

I have asked this question several times over the past several years and never received an answer. Thanks for your informative and interesting column!

not all HPV causes genital warts, so just because someone has HPV doesn’t mean they have genital warts. also, men can’t be tested for HPV as there is no FDA-approved test for them. so, really, unless she knew she had it BEFORE she met him, there’s always the possibility that HE gave it to HER, since not all HPV causes warts. and even if she knew, he may very well have another strain of the disease. as intelligent as Dr. Fulbright is, she didn’t answer this question well at all.

Ok… a virus is a virus. The flu is a virus. Your body once infected can detect and destroy these viruses and the cells they use to replicate once the immune system starts making antibodies. However you will always HAVE a Virus. However your body in most respect builds an immunity (i.e. you get chicken pox as a kid an usually never get it again) If you get or have HPV you will alway have the virus and antibodies in your system. Your health plays a role in how you immune system fights it. If you get sick, don’t eat right or have a lot of stress you could weaken your immune system to the point the virus can replicate and you may have an outbreak. In men an outbreak can be visible skin tags in some of the strains. Women can also get little tags or bumps…or abnormal paps (displasia). You can have them froze off or there are creams that can help over time. I have warts…and I used a cream and the “tags” went away after a few months. And have not returned. My girlfriend also has them unfortunately HPV can lay dormant in the body for years. So you never REALLY know who you got it from if you’ve had unprotected sex with multiple partners. They have developed vaccines. Vaccines don’t cure you. They work by injecting inactive or criticle pieces of the virus you want protection from into your body (it can’t infect you) You immune system attacks the forign material and makes antibodies against it. If later on in your life you come into contact with the virus…your body detects it and destroys it.
Other viruses they can’t cure “yet” Herpes is one. Your body can control the viral load if the Herpes virus is replicating outside the nerve cells…but since the virus infects and moves up and down the nerves in the Jaw (HSV1) or in the groin (HSV2). Your immune system does not “see” nerve cells. So unless the virus starts replicating and causes that nerve cell to burst releasing more HSV2 viruses…the body can’t get at it. There is suppose to be a vaccine in development however once given to animal subject…the immune responds by attacking not just the infected nerves but all the nerves causing a LUPUS type effect (LUPUS is the immune system attacking the body). They have a vaccine for HIV…but they have just halted human trials. However there are drugs called anti virals. Valtrex is one for HSV2 and is effective agaisnt HSV1 and it works by inhibiting the viruses ability to replicate. HIV has anti-virus that can lower the viral load in the body so that on HIV tests you “appear” to be cured. However it only takes one miniscule virus to infect you.

Bottom line…once you have a virus you always have a virus. Just some viruses your body can assimilate.

Gee whiz info. The reason why they cannot cure the common cold (viruses) is because a virus gets into a cell of a person…and splices its own DNA into the DNA of the host cell…causing that cell to replicate the virus until that cell cannot contain them and the cell ruptures. This continues until the body can start fighting it. Say this virus is an airborn virus. This person sneezes particles of the virus into the air. Which another person breathes in…this virus that the new person has is slightly different then the virus the first person had…because it spliced itself into a host cell. Some viruses mutate very fast…making it impossible to develop 100% effective vaccines.

when they mapped the human genome … they found “junk DNA” in our DNA. A lot of the “JUNK” turned out to be the same sequences in that can be found in viruses…

Hopefully this will help clarify some confusion.

There are multiple types of HPV virus – how can you assume that the one this woman has is genital warts? Not all HPV virus types are wart related – is this misinformation?

There are many types of HPV and not all of them cause genital warts. So your comment of aka ‘genital warts’ is inaccurate

Hello –

I was diagnosed with HPV at age 26. Don’t have it now (? or maybe I do or never really did?). I was in one of the original clinical trails where they associated HPV with cancer risk. I don’t really know what to think of the methods regarding diagnosis (false + and – ) seeing that I had it and now I don’t.

I also have hpv and have never had any “genital warts.” I had crosurgery to burn the precancerous cells and I believe that this “docotor” is either confused or misinformed about all of the strains of hpv.

I am quite surprised that a Doctor has such an incorrect explanation! I am only 20, and have been diagnosed with a specific HPV strain that was only pre-cancerous cells, and not any form of warts. I have already undergone a laser removal and should have normal paps with no trace left. Why on earth would you only give a piece of explanation to such a complex set of viruses!

It is a death sentence, or so it seems to me. I was diagnosed genital warts at age 26. I contacted this retched disease at age 24. I’m now age 50 and over the last 24 years I’ve had several treatments from surgical, freezing, even an cream that destroys them and supposedly ramps up your immune system so they’ll stay dormant. None of it has work! I average one to two breakouts a year. This is a curse that I’ve lived with for a quarter of a century now and one I’m sure I’ll go to the grave with. There isn’t a day go by that I don’t regret my behavior that led to this.

Vaccine anyone?

Isn’t there a vaccine available?

How about oral sex? Can you get genital warts/HPV that way?

I had Warts 21 years ago at the age of 18 and was treated. I have never passed it on. I’ve been married 13 years and my husband has never contracted it.

Justin,
The cancer causing HPV strains are 16, 18, 31, and 33. I am a pathologist and I diagnose cervical cancer, dysplasia, and condylomas on a daily basis. But everything else is right on.

HPV no matter what the strain is a life long thing. Once you have it you will always have it and you can always be a carrier. You could have two abnormal paps in a row and then 20 normal ones and then all of a sudden an abnormal one again. Also, at any point it can develope into cancerous cells. Removing these cells doesn’t remove the HPV from your system. Yes, you can get it from oral sex, think, a male performs it on a female, kisses the female and she preforms on oral on him for example. Often a male can have HPV and not know it and then his woman goes for her routine checkup and it shows up on her pap.

I don’t believe the author was confusing HPV with HSV as I have both and have read extensivly about both, since HPV can go off your pap charts for years and then show up again in a way that is lying dormant just like Herpes does and just like herpes you can spread it when you are not having symtoms. (both are the gift that keep on giving) I have chosen the path of honesty in bringing up the subject at what I think is an appropriet time with potential boyfriends, however the social stigma is such that this has left me without sex or a relationship for over a year I lived my sexual life using condoms and in monogomous relationships but alas, a BF was in denial about his health and didn’t disclose his STDs at all during our entire relationship. This of course left me somewhat to say the least devastated on many levels.

I am alarmed that many have made posts believeing that HPV will “clear up after 18 months” honey, its not on your pap, but you still have it. DID YOU HEAR THAT? YOU STILL HAVE IT. TODAY, TOMORROW, UNTIL YOU DIE. Either these peopel aren’t doing their homework (its your body read about it) or they want to think they are healed (thus, most likely helping in the spread of it to unsuspecting victims, gee thanks) ignoring it won’t go away, choosing the rosey words the doc says doesn’t mean that only those words reply. No wonder HPV and HSV are so prevelant (yet sadly so socially stigmatyzed, once again thanks)

Ignorence is not bliss it is deadly. Actions have consequences. Your get off can effect someones elses life and sadly their reproductive organs, don’t be that man that messes up some womans cradle of life. Promescuity is sadly really going to be the death of us all, or at least will make many of us a statistic.

the lack of understanding is scary :/

original question: “If my girlfriend had HPV and had her precancerous cells removed by laser treatment, does she still have it? Can I still get the virus?” simple answer, yes. however I think some people like to downplay their condition to their partners.

a post: “I had Warts 21 years ago at the age of 18 and was treated. I have never passed it on. I’ve been married 13 years and my husband has never contracted it” honey, you had it, you have it, then he is a carrier, even if he never developes actual warts.

I used to date this woman that HPV and did not tell me. The strange thing was that she never allowed me to see her in good light. Finally, one day the light came on ..literally and I discovered that she had an outbreak of genital warts on here face. She then confessed that she got them because of her love of giving oral sex.

We only dated a few more times after that. I wish had told me the truth upfront.

I’m sure this is a very legitimate problem but, let’s get this off the news channel. We don’t want this here on this site. Can the people in charge please do something about this. Next thing you all will have a show and tell section. Common Fox, get with what is right in the eye’s of God not man.

One you have HPV you always have it. In fact our adopted daughter has a disease called RRP. Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis caused by HPV. She contracted it when she went through the birth canal. She now has warts that grow on her vocal cords that she has to have removed by surgery. She will always have it. Not only can you pass HPV on to your partner. You can pass it on to an innocent child.

“Aside from the totalitarian idea that young women should be subjected to a new vaccine against their and their parents wills, as the vast majority of sexual contact is heterosexual”. Gee Wayne, when did you become pussified? Totalitarian? Subjected to what? No one is subjected anyone to anything and getting vaccinated can be given, as any vaccination has been in the past when it is in the public interest. Where have you been? Another planet? Since when is helping women, who are going to have sex regardless, to make it safer for them a sentence like prison? lol.

The ignorance prevalent here is one of many reasons why I stay home Friday nights, masturbate to porn, and go to bed alone. lol. Much safer.

Well in case you didn’t see the commercial some HPV cases clear up on their own. Even doctors will tell you that. There is so many types of HPV that until your doctor tells you, you wont know what type you have. This doctor was very irresponisble with her response. You don’t have to have genital warts and you don’t have to have cervical cancer. It is really hard to tell unless your doctor tells you. Even the warts on your hand or foot or anywhere are in fact HPV.

I have heard the same thing, not all strains cause warts. Think about this. If over half of active people have HPV then that means that over half of the population should report having an outbreak SOMETIME in their lives and not it is not nearly that many. I have heard an OBGYN as well say that it can cycle out of your body so that presents a conflict. and also

HONEY, STOP TYPING IN ALL CAPS TELLING SOMEONE WHAT THEY DO HAVE IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE ANGRY AND YELLING AND THE CAPITAL LETTERS ON THIS SUBJECT ISN’T GOING TO MAKE ANYONE BELIEVE YOU ANYMORE THAN THEY ALREADY DO.

My ex-girlfriend is currently studying the HPV question in regards to Cervical cancer as we speak.
The current data are:

more than 80% of people with normal immune systems clear themselves of MOST HPV infections within 12-24 months

certain people will never clear the HPV infections

The women that have persistent infections are the ones most at risk for Cervical cancer

25% of mouth/oral cancers now found (in men) have a HPV component- the jury is still out on whether or not this is a result of sexual contact

only a couple of the strains of HPV result in warts.

There are over 80 known strains of HPV. The DNA typing is finding more and more.

The current HPV Vaccine only tackles the strains that are related to the Majority (85+ %) of Cervical cancers found. The vaccine is most effective when administered PRIOR to ANY sexual contact. The studies on post-initial sexual activity is still being studied.

Also remember that this is a new vaccine, so many things will be learned about it over the next 10 years.

Beyond using protection, what rule does diet and exercise play in reducing the risk of HPV. I also heard oral contact can lead to neck and throat cancer which would elevate the risk both in men and women.

Given the alarming amount of misinformation in the blog postings above, I wanted to set the record straight. HPV (human papilloma virus) is a virus with over 100 different strains. About 30 of those strains can be sexually transmitted (via oral, anal, or vaginal-penile sex) to the genitals through infected genital skin, bodily fluids, and mucous membranes. These strains can eventually lead to cervical and anal dysplasia and/or cancer.

When a person is infected with HPV – as with any other virus – they have it for life. To say that the virus “clears” itself from the body is not entirely accurate and gives a false sense of security when it comes to transmission. The deal is that symptoms of HPV, e.g., genital warts, may disappear on their own within two years. For example, research has found that 90% of women with cervical HPV have no visible symptoms two years later. That does NOT mean, however, that the virus has been cleared from the body. Just because a person is symptom-free, that does NOT mean that they are HPV-free and unable to infect others.

To say the body has “cleared” itself of the virus means that it may have developed antibodies that suppress HPV – to the point that it is not detectable on tests. Yet technically the virus is still present.

An HPV vaccine is available for females ages 9-26 years-old. This vaccine promises to protect against 4 strains of the virus (6, 11, 16, & 18) which account for 70% of cervical cancer cases.

An estimated 20 million individuals in the United States have HPV. According to the American Social Health Association, three-fourths of those 15-49 years-old who are sexually active become infected at some point. Many will never no their status given they will never show symptoms. The only way to protect yourself from infection is to abstain from sexual intimacy entirely. Your next best option is to use a condom for some protection.

thanks Doc for your last post. However, after all the reading I have done on HPV and HSV and blogs I have read I still don’t think people (want to) get it.

In a couple more years maybe it won’t be such an issue as the % of people who will have these will be so high it will be like a non issue, we all will be infected.

these people who are not effected or who make jokes about it have no idea of the absolute fear some have that they could give it to someone they LOVE, not a sex partner or a lover to some degree, someone they are in LOVE with. Others have it and don’t give a crap, boink and move on to the next person. Living with both sucks only because of the mental issues and not with the actual physical stuff.

seperatly, the additional doctor bills suck ass.