I got my very first pap smear yesterday at the clinic to get tested for std's and such. My boyfriend of a year and I decided that we wanted to go get tested and eveything since we have been with other people before and we just want to be with each other. There is no doubt in my mind that he hasn't been faithful to me. We live together and love each other very much.

His doctors appointment was yesterday as well. He has these little bumps on his penis and we wanted to see what they were. The doctor said they were genital warts. I'm like freaking out! I haven't gotten the results from my pap back yet but I know for a fact that I've obviously got HPV. We do have unprotected sex quite often so that's how I know I've got it.We've been sleeping with each other for a year now so yeah. Those bumps started showing up about 4 monthes after we started going out. Before him and I started having sex, he hasn't been with anyone is monthes.
Who gave it to who isn't really the problem though. The fact is, is that we've got it.
I do realize that it takes time for symptoms to show and everything so yeah.
Idk when I got it.. or when he got it. Idk if he got it from me or I got it from him. But it doesn't matter in my opinion.. my only worry is that we get it taken care of. I don't have any warts or anything. He does. He's got some meds and stuff to clear them up and I just have to wait for my results and take it from there. I do realize that it can cause cervical cancer by the way. I read about all the facts on them there's just a few unanswered questions that I have.
Anyone who has this experience of some sort I need some advice and help.
These are the following questions that I am curious to know the answer to.
How long do I have to wait to have sex with my boyfriend again?
If I do have HPV.. What will they do to me? like How do I get rid of it?
Why does my boyfriend have warts and I dont?

ALSO!!!! I FORGOT TO ADD!

My mom has untreated HPV I believe before she had me. I've pretty positive of that.. My dad mentioned it once.
Is it possible that I got in because she had it and just carried it?

First, many, many people get some form of an HPV infection.

Next, genital warts caused by HPV is usually a low risk form.

Having an HPV infection does NOT mean you will get cervical cancer. Again... a majority of sexually active adults will get an HPV infection sometime in their lifetime, and often its low risk and self limiting.

The short answer is this... you'll keep doing PAP's like you always would have.

Understand condoms don't necessarily prevent HPV transmission.

Read the following...
Learn about STDs/STIs

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Originally Posted by kp2171

first, many, many people get some form of an HPV infection.

next, genital warts caused by HPV is usually a low risk form.

having an HPV infection does NOT mean you will get cervical cancer. again... a majority of sexually active adults will get an HPV infection sometime in their lifetime, and often its low risk and self limiting.

the short answer is this... youll keep doing PAP's like you always would have.

understand condoms dont necessarily prevent HPV transmission.

read the following...
Learn about STDs/STIs

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Like every time my boyfriend and I would stop having sex for awhile the bumps would get better.. then we would have sex again and they'd start showing up more. My boyfriend doesn't wash off after we have sex so then I was thinking that the acidities in like.. the wetness is causing irritation to his skin.
But what about the questions I asked? Do you know the answers because those are the things I'm mostly concerned about.

Well... are these the questions?
How long do I have to wait to have sex with my boyfriend again?

If I do have HPV.. What will they do to me? like How do I get rid of it?
Why does my boyfriend have warts and I dont?

You don't have to wait to have sex with him. If he has HPV, he has HPV. Waiting doesn't change this. Even condom use doesn't change this.

Nobody can tell you what HPV "will do to you"... some are completely asymptomatic. Some people have genital warts. Some are at increased risk for cancers. The type that causes genital warts is often "low risk" for cancer. If I were in your position, id simply keep on schedule with regular physicals and paps and that is that. No reason to lose sleep over this, in my opinion, as long as you are regularly checked.

You don't do anything to get rid of HPV. Look around you... one in two sexually active adults in the room are likely to have some HPV infection. It is very common.

If my sexual partner came to me and said "im HPV" +, I would not be freaked out.

Id want to know if she's had a pap recently. Id want her to have a pap as part of her yearly physical, but really... I wouldn't be especially distressed.

Its common. It should be looked at. You need to calm yourself and relax.

As far as I know, there is no definite treatment for genital warts, as they are caused on a Virus, and there isn't any specific drug as yet, for that.

Podophyllotoxin or podophyllin paint is usually applied once a week, to control them until they fade away.

The incubation period is usually 8 months or longer and this is perhaps the reason you haven't seen any on your own body.

Freezing with Nitrous oxide every 3 weeks is a treatment sometimes suggested, esp if the pap smear shows pre-cancerous changes (an infrequent happening, so please do not get alarmed).

On the herbal front, the essential oils of thuja and tea tree help eliminate warts.
They have to be applied sufficiently diluted in castor oil, to the warts, 2 to 3 times a day, according to need.

However, great caution is necessary to dilute the oils sufficiently, as the oils are very strong indeed!

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Human Papillomarvirus (genital warts)

Genital warts are one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. There are over 70 strains of HPV (human papillomavirus). Certain strains of HPV are known to cause genital warts. It is estimated that less than 1% of men and women infected with HPV develop symptoms.
HPV Vaccination

* Four of the common types of HPV can be prevented through vaccination. These are types 6, 11, 16, and 18.
* Types 16 and 18 cause over 70% of cervical cancers.
* Types 6 and 11 cause 90% of anal and genital warts worldwide. Talk to your family doctor or nurse practitioner about your need for vaccination.

Who should be vaccinated?

* The vaccine has been approved for use in Canada for females 9-26 years of age.
* Ideally the vaccine should be given to females before they become sexually active in order to ensure maximum benefit.
* There is still a potential benefit from receiving the vaccine regardless of previous sexual activity, Pap abnormalities, cervical cancer, anogenital warts, or a known HPV infection.
* Although no recommendations were made for women older than 26 years, its use can be considered in individual circumstances.

How can I get vaccinated?

* The vaccine requires 3 doses to be given over the course of 6 months (0, 2, and 6 months).
* Make an appointment with your family doctor or nurse practitioner.

Do I need to pay for the vaccine?

* Yes, the vaccine costs about $160 per injection (~ $480 for all three).
* Some or all of the cost may be covered by private health plans.

Symptoms

Genital warts are highly infectious and are usually transmitted sexually. They may appear on the external and internal areas of the genitals and in the anal-rectal region. They may also appear on the buttocks, lower abdomen and upper thighs. Genital warts caused by HPV types 6 and 11 are believed to be benign (non-cancerous).

Warts may be pink, red or gray and can vary in size and shape. Sometimes they cluster together giving a cauliflower appearance. Genital warts are usually painless, but can cause some discomfort if they become large. Sometimes, although it is rare, genital warts can be itchy and have a foul-smelling discharge.
Transmission

The incubation period of the HPV virus is variable. This means that it might take longer for one person to develop symptoms than it takes another person (if symptoms develop at all). Most people develop symptoms within three to six months after infection, but in some cases symptoms occur years later. If you are infected with HPV but show no symptoms, you can still infect someone else.

Risk factors for genital warts include multiple sexual partners, unprotected sexual activity, early age of first sexual intercourse, smoking, low immunity and a history of other sexually transmitted infections.
Diagnosis

Visible warts are easy to diagnose. You or your doctor may see them on your genitals. Warts come in all different shapes and sizes: raised, bumpy, flat and even cauliflower-like. They can be small or large, single or multiple. If you have any lumps or bumps you are concerned about, get your doctor to have a look at them. Your doctor may use white vinegar and magnification to help locate the flat, smaller warts. Warts on the cervix may be difficult to see and may require a special technique called colposcopy. A microscope is used to visualize the cervix and tissue samples are taken as indicated.

Often there are no visible warts. This is called sub-clinical HPV infection. A Pap-smear test may inadvertently pick up sub-clinical HPV infection. Changes in the cells of the cervix found on a Pap test could be consistent with HPV and are an indication to look for the virus, possibly by colposcopy.No treatment guarantees cure of HPV infection. Visible genital warts are treated with chemicals or liquid nitrogen. This is thought to reduce transmission. The removal method will depend upon the clinical presentation of the warts and your doctor. Often, multiple treatments and possibly several removal methods will be required.

Pharmacologic treatment for external genital warts:

* Podophyllin – Cytotoxic agent used to treat dry warts. Administered by a physician and may require weekly treatments.
* Trichloroacetic Acid – Caustic agent used to treat moist warts. Administered by a physician.
* Imiquimod – A new drug, which stimulates the immune system to produce interferon and cytokines. Applied by the patient three times a week at bedtime.

Nonpharmacologic treatment for genital warts:

* Electrosurgery – Heat is used to destroy the abnormal growths.
* Cryotherapy – Abnormal growths are frozen and destroyed using liquid nitrogen.
* Conization – The abnormal tissue (in the form of a cone-shaped wedge) is removed from the cervix.
* Electrosurgical excision – Using electric energy and a wire loop, abnormal growths are destroyed.
* Laser treatment – A laser beam boils the water in the cells and vaporizes the tissue.

Although these treatments destroy existing warts, the virus may still exist in the body. Once diagnosed, an individual must continue looking for visible warts and receive annual medical checkups. Partners should also be checked and there should be no sexual activity until both are treated. It is possible that the virus may eventually leave the body although it is unclear how this happens.
Post-treatment

Your doctor will advise you of specific treatments. Generally, you are advised to

* avoid sexual intercourse until treated areas have been healed;
* avoid unprotected sex for six months;
* keep treated areas clean and dry—wear cotton underwear and consider blow-drying the treated area on a low setting;
* follow up with your doctor to ensure the wart lesions have gone; and
* return to your doctor if you suspect new wart lesions.

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U of S: Sexual Health Information: Sexually Transmitted Infections: Types of STIs

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Originally Posted by kp2171

well... are these the questions?
How long do I have to wait to have sex with my boyfriend again?

If I do have HPV.. What will they do to me? like How do I get rid of it?
Why does my boyfriend have warts and I dont?

you dont have to wait to have sex with him. if he has HPV, he has HPV. waiting doesnt change this. even condom use doesnt change this.

nobody can tell you what HPV "will do to you"... some are completely asymptomatic. some people have genital warts. some are at increased risk for cancers. the type that causes genital warts is often "low risk" for cancer. if i were in your position, id simply keep on schedule with regular physicals and paps and that is that. no reason to lose sleep over this, in my opinion, as long as you are regularly checked.

you dont do anything to get rid of HPV. look around you... one in two sexually active adults in the room are likely to have some HPV infection. it is very common.

if my sexual partner came to me and said "im HPV" +, i would not be freaked out.

id want to know if shes had a pap recently. id want her to have a pap as part of her yearly physical, but really... i wouldnt be especially distressed.

its common. it should be looked at. you need to calm yourself and relax.

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Okay but first of all... my boyfriend mom told me boys can't get HPV.. they get warts. Second of all.. my boyfriend is getting the warts treated... but as for me.. I don't know how or if I can be.. and if I can't.. does that mean my boyfriend will continue getting warts and is it even worth going through this 16 week treatment thing he's doing to get rid of them? I mean.. we will have sex again.. no doubt about that.. but I'm just confused.. will I keep giving him these warts? I'm trying to relax... but I just never thought I'd have an std.. Its scary.

Uhm.. well.. if a man cannot carry hpv, then you'd expect it to only be transmitted by women... women to women contact. Did you have sex with a woman?

Seriously!

Sorry to call you mother incredibly wrong, but she IS. Or else she can tell you how the Center for Disease Control (CDC), one of the top medical organizations in the states is incorrect on the very first paragraph of the following link...

HPV Transmission

Genital HPV infections are most often spread through sexual contact. For this reason, it is considered a sexually transmitted disease (STD). HPV is easily spread between sexual partners. In fact, at least 50 percent of sexually active men and women have been infected with genital HPV at some point in their lives.

A man cannot get cervical cancer... he has no cervix. He cannot have a pap smear. It isn't done. But really...

It is a SEXUALLY transmitted disease and one that many men have over the course of a lifetime of sexual activity.

Condoms won't stop it... skin to skin contact is all it takes.

So... believe me and 99.9% of the world who believe a man can be a carrier or believe your mother...

This is the best analogy I can give...

Many people have herpes simplex 1... the "cold sore virus"... a COMPLETELY different disease, but used here for example... not all carrier show symptoms. Some do. Some do not. Some who do can have the infection lessen over time, with the virus seeming to "burn out"... some never do.

People with hpv can show genital warts or not. They can persist. They can be self limiting.

As for treatment or when they might or might not appear...

Genital Warts

Arm yourself with facts, not beliefs...

To kind of go off subject here, since she's getting answers. I've just been diagnosed with the low risk gential hpv virus (warts) my warts and my boyfriends warts (virus) are not visible on skin, I did my colposcopy (forigve spelling if wrong). Now I'm waiting for the results.. My doctor couldn't really explain it. I understand and know that there's no cure. I understand that if I have it, my boyfriend has it. But now something that I'm trying to understand is... If there is no test for a male, and the vaccine, is just a vaccine.. after I get the surgery done to remove the warts inside my cervix..

What are the possibilities that it will happen again to us?
Since there's no cure, would it be that we're just passing it back and forth for the rest of our lives.. Hoping that a visual wart doesn't appear?

Also, I read that smoking, drinking, drugs, etc.. They are a cause to genital warts?
I know that we both smoke (at least a pack in two-three days, we used to be heavy party drinkers, and my boyfriend used to do drugs) what impact does that have to do with the virus?

There is no cure, so you will both have it for the rest of your lives. There is no "passing back and forth" you both always have it all the time. You have outbreaks that may or may not produce warts. Some people only have an outbreak once, then never again. Some are not so lucky.

Smoking and drugs weaken you immune system. The stronger your immune system the better it can fight the virus, the less likely you are to get outbreaks. :)

Drinking, smoking, and drugs can lead to STD's and STI's only because it usually means you live a 'more dangerous' life. That is the only reason it is tied to obtaining these things.

Now for my story...
My boyfriend just told me that he was diagnosed with genital warts. We have been having sex for over a year now, with and without a condom, and I have had no symptoms whatsoever. I have also had the Gardasil vaccine, before I had sex with him. I guess I'm just seeking advice on how you maintained your relationship. I love him and I don't want this to ruin our relationship. I have yet to be checked out by a doctor, as he told me last night and I haven't had the chance to. I'm very scared but also if by some miracle I don't have it, then what?