Ugh.... i have HPV?

itsonlyme · 11-25-2008, 06:51 PM

so i saw my gyno last week, apparently it had been almost 3 years since i last went in... oops- where does the time fly off too?

anyways she called me today b/c my PAP came back abnormal and also told me i have uterine inflammation and that i have been exposed to HPV.

what exactly does that mean? exposed. does that mean i have HPV- i assume so....

anyways, so she prescribed antiviral vaginal cream and i will follow up with another PAP in Jan.

i have been with my husband almost two years (married for 2 months)...... of course, since i was MIA from my yearly PAPs for 2 years i have no idea how long i have been infected....

but does this mean my hubby most likely has HPV too? and if i get treated and it goes away, won't i be re-infected by him?

i read stuff online, but it tells me nothing.... other than some people get warts, which thankfully i do not have.
i don't get it? does anyone know?

MDD · 11-25-2008, 07:32 PM

I too have HPV and the only way I found out was my OB/GYN ordered the DNA testing on the abnormal cell growths I had. I eventually had to have what they call a leap procedure to remove all the bad cell growth. I think once you are exposed to it.....you have it. I am not sure there is anyway to get rid of it. They gave me the cream to but I had an allergic reaction to it. So I guess that since you are married it really does not matter. Just keep up with your paps and stay healthy.

Melissa

Peaches3 · 11-25-2008, 08:18 PM

Yes, you can get rid of it though it is harder for you to if you have the kind with warts. My sister found out she had HPV when she went to her gyno to confirm her pregnancy. Her baby is now almost 1 and my sister no longer has HPV.

ms_tara · 11-25-2008, 09:30 PM

I am interested in hearing about this as well. I found out that I have HPV earlier this year after having a pap. Luckily, I do not have any abnormal cells.

I'm really trying to keep a positive attitude about it. I have not been promiscuous but I got HPV anyways. My OBGYN told me that it's a very common infection to have, it can stay dormant for a long period of time and that it will probably go away on its own.

itsonlyme · 11-26-2008, 01:46 PM

Awesome! Thanks ladies, it makes me feel soo much better!

Hope you all have a Great Thanksgiving!

JulesHerlein · 11-26-2008, 03:22 PM

Okay this might be a bit long...but I warned you! I also have HPV and nearly beat up my husband when I found out, since we have been together for 4 years and I was told that 2 years ago. It does not go away and rarely if ever effects you as long as you have regular pap tests. I know you have seen all the commercials about getting your daughter tested and getting a shot and saving a life...that is for HPV. Search it on the internet and you can find out alot of information. I think I read somewhere that like 80% of the Human Population has it and may never know it. More than likely my husband has it, but it very rarely shows any symptoms in men, and the only symptom it shows in women is an irregular pap smear and it is also what causes cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is very treatable as long as you go to the doctor and have a regular pap test, when caught early enough it can be fully treated. I have only had that one irregular pap smear and he did a punch biopsy after looking at my cervix and finding a spot and the biopsy came back clear. I have had two pap smears since then and no irregularities. It's very common but unfortunately does not go away, just please make sure you go to the doctor every year!!

As for what they advertise on tv, the shots to prevent getting HPV, my doctor explained that as, if you have ever been sexually active it's pointless because you have been exposed already and if you are over the age of 25 they won't even give you the shot. It has been quite a topic of controversy because they are wanting very young girls to get the shot.

Hopefully that helps!

jenNICUrn · 11-26-2008, 08:12 PM

Hi, I was diagnosed with HPV 4 years ago. The HPV was picked up on a routiene pap. I had been with my boyfriend (now husband for over a year at the time) and never thought of myself as promiscuous before that. As previous posters on this thread have said symptoms are usually non-existent in men.

I had several biopsies that all were abnormal and had to progress to the next form of treatment called a LEEP where they surgically laser off a few layers of cervical cells. It was done in the office, I did not need anesthesia and was not painful.

After the LEEP I had to have PAP's every 3 months for a year and then every six months for 2 years and finally back to just yearly. All of my PAP's have been normal. As everyone else has said if you get treatment early it is very curable and usually does not progress to cervical cancer. You won't get re-infected by your husband because once your body has whatever type of HPV (there are many types) you have it and can't get it again kind of like chicken pox and things like that, the most important thing is to keep up with your PAP's and if you continue to have abnormal ones to have further treatment. I know the LEEP has like a 95% sucess rate in removing all atypical cells.

Hope this helps, sorry for the long post!

shwag5150 · 11-30-2008, 02:04 AM

I don't understand what one of the posters said that if you've been sexually active you have already been exposed, and that they won't give the shot to anyone over the age of 25. So if we've all been exposed, why don't we all have it? I've never had an abnormal pap and I'm almost 26. I've had unprotected sex many times through out my life... so I don't get it.

From what I've heard, HPV never goes away once you have it because it is a VIRUS, like herpes. You may never have symptoms and you may have symptoms often (women). My friend who has it said there are warts accompanying it that look like little heads of broccoli. I don't know if there are two different kinds, like with herpes though because someone here said one type has warts and the other doesn't.

I hate that people think you have to be promiscuous to get an STD. That is soooo not true! I've been promiscuous and never had an STD, while I know people who are sooo the opposite and have gotten them. It's just luck of the draw really. So I have a question, can you contract HPV from oral sex??

maryane · 11-30-2008, 03:08 AM

My sister-in-law has this. She has never had any signs, just an abnormal pap.
I did a search about getting it orally and found out that it is a leading cause of mouth, throat and tonsil cancer in men. Almost as common as those from tobacco and alcohol.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Sex/wireStory?id=4230138

Wow

I also found:
How Can You Get HPV?

HPV is transmitted through sexual skin-to-skin contact from an infected partner. No penetration is required to contract HPV. HPV can be transmitted through:

vaginal intercourse
anal intercourse
oral sex
touching your infected partner's genitals and then your own
sharing sex toys with an infected person without disinfecting first
genital-to-genital contact (same or opposite sex)

Hope that helps.

Melvin'sWifey · 11-30-2008, 03:34 AM

I got HPV when I was a teenager from the very first guy I had sex with. I was having regular paps already at that time as I was already on birth control pills to control my AF. Yes it's true, there are two different kinds, and I too went in for a regular pap and got an abnormal pap so they said I had HPV and I'm not sure if I took any meds for it or not, but they said I had the kind that would go away on it's own. The other kind you have for life.

I have had a million paps since then and they have all come back normal and that was over 10 years ago, so that did teach me to be more careful and not trust so easily!!

doesitinspire · 11-30-2008, 05:45 PM

unfortunately there is little you can do to treat asymptomatic HPV (that without warts or lesions) except wait and recharge your immune system, as its the only thing that can really clear the virus.

i had a medium grade abnormal pap in feb 2005, a negative colpo/leep in march 2005 and a repeat pap in may 2005 which was normal. my doctor estimates that i was infected in august 04 from a new partner from that time. so the virus ran its course for me in 8 months.

it is VERY common. the pamplets we used to give out at planned parenthood indicated up to 85% infection rates amongst general population, but since few strains lead to cancer, warts or noticable inflammation, many go unnoticed - especially since men tend to be carriers and are not tested.

SilentWarrior · 11-30-2008, 06:06 PM

I was diagnosed with HPV in July and I have the worst type..the one that causes cervical dyplasia. My doctor said HPV goes away on its own and it takes from 6 months to 2 years (depending on the person) to go away. So there is nothing you can do to get rid of it but if you strengthen your immune system your body will fight against the virus more effectively.