Healthy Living
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Ask Dr. Kate: Does HPV ping-pong between you and your partner?
partner
Hi Dr. Kate,
A friend of mine and I have both been diagnosed with HPV in the
last year--she is 29, I am 33. We both have abnormal, benign cells.
We have both been told by our doctors that the HPV will likely
clear on its own. I am in a sexually-active, monogamous
relationship. She is seeing someone new but has been abstaining due
to her diagnosis.
Now here is the question: My doctor told me that I don't need
to worry about my boyfriend and I passing this back and forth (we
always use condoms). My friend's doctor told her that if she has
sex with someone, it's likely that she will give HPV to him, and
that he will give it back to her. Basically that they can infect
each other back and forth forever. (
What
are the STD risks without condoms?)
Is this how it works? Is it possible to pass HPV back and forth,
keeping you both infected? This is an especially important question
for my friend, since she was just denied health insurance because
of the HPV (how messed up is that?), so she's really concerned
about getting rid of it.
Many thanks for your answer. Any advice would be greatly
appreciated.
Really good question...wish I had an equally good
answer. Unfortunately, we simply don't know the
answer yet. Some docs hold that you'll develop immunity to
your partner's strains, so you would be fine if you're only
exposed to "his" HPV, but we don't really have good evidence
for this. We know what makes HPV clear more quickly: Don't
smoke, stay healthy, don't become diabetic or contract
HIV. But we don't know if that immunity is temporary (like
against a cold virus) or permanent (like against the chicken pox
virus).
Do you have HPV? Here's
a doctor's advice on what you should do.
I wouldn't abstain from sex after receiving an HPV
diagnosis--then 1/4 of the population would be wearing purity
rings. But limiting the number of partners (and therefore, the
volume of HPV you're exposed to) seems wise. The safest thing to do
is to continue using condoms (like you're doing) for the
greatest possible protection, even if it's not
complete protection. And continue to get pap
smears as your gyno recommends.
What have
your
gynos told you about passing HPV?
[photo credit: Getty Images]
Related: How
you know you have HPV?
MORE FROM DAILY BEDPOST AND GLAMOUR:
Related: sexual health, sex, hpv, condoms
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Posted by Dawn Tue Oct 7, 2008 4:33pm PDT
there are better ways to deal with things like this. My suggestion would be to change your life style in the form of food and the products that you use. there are a lot of things in the world that many people don't even know what is in there and when a Dr. don't have a answer that is good enough they really don't know. I went through a lot of the same and have found a great benefit in what i do with all my everyday things from brushing my teeth to what i eat. you name it. it all matters to keep many things at bay and from getting rid of them as well. for more information email me at dawnlldusk@tds.net
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Posted by dragonflyyy Wed Oct 8, 2008 11:33am PDT
hmm I have hpv and use condoms during my sex life and thus far have infected no one. (atleast no one has contacted me and let me know, nor have any f#ck buddies in the past contacted me) I tell all my partners. I have had it for about 10 years and had a healthy sex life since. My current partner admits that he is uncomfortable when we have sex but I am still satisfied. He'll get over it or he wont. What I tell him and others is that if hpv is keeping you from having sex with me you may as well just resist sex period since its extremely common and tons of folks have it and dont know or wont tell. At least I am open and honest about my situation. Anyway I have never heard of this back nad forth thing but there is still a lot that doctors dont know about hpv. I more or less feel that it comes with the territory. If you are going to have sex, expect at least a run in with hpv.
I've had time to adjust but really its no big deal. Best wishes and happy healthy sex to all!
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Posted by BlueWaterBaby Thu Oct 9, 2008 6:10am PDT
I was diagnosed with HPV a couple of years ago and kept it. An Ex I had cheated on me with a girl that had HPV and unknowingly gave it to me. Unfortunantly its the type that doesn't go away, however I was lucky enough that its not the type that causes genital warts. (Thank you God!) But, beacause of it I am supposed to get a Colposcopy every six months to keep check that I'm not developing cancer. I feel like I kept HPV because it remained in my boyfreinds system. What if he got it and it just remained dorment and only showed itself once in a while or my body just couldn't keep fighting it off? I don't know. Getting denied insurance because of it is a pain in the a**! I don't have insurance, and I can't afford to get checked like I am supposed to, so if I get cancer its because I couldn't afford to see a doctor about it. I've even attempted to get medicaid, they wouldn't accept me because I havn't contracted at least $3,000 in debt with medical bills. So, are they telling me that I have to go out and create a bunch of debt with doctors before they will help me? I hate the government and the people that have abused the system just to get freebies out of it! I work a full-time job and support me and my son. I'm doing all that I can and yet someone who refuses to get a job and has a many babies as possible just to get food stamps and a car payment took care of can have whatever they want!!!!! Sorry, now I'm just getting upset and rambling. Good Luck with your situation.
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Posted by Pam Thu Oct 9, 2008 8:01am PDT
miss iacas i am sorry that u lady have hpv and i hope all u lady can forgive and live a health life with out this afecting u everyday. we all tooking risk in ur life .so there no judgement from me.
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Posted by danielle Thu Oct 9, 2008 10:33am PDT
Okay,I have an appointment for my annual in November and I am scared to death!! I suffer from yeast infections and am afraid that I may have an abnormal pap.
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Posted by JaymeH Sat Oct 18, 2008 9:39am PDT
HPV cannot be passed back and forth between partners - once you have it, you have it. Your immune system can suppress the virus and it can cause you no health problems whatsoever, and in the majority of women this is what happens. A woman who has HPV and has sex with a man can certainly pass it to him, but because there is no way to diagnose HPV in men unless it is a strain that causes visible genital warts, no one will be able to ascertain for sure whether or not he has it. If he does, him "passing it back" to her is not an issue, as she is already infected. He could pass her a strain that she does not have that he picked up from another partner, but the idea of being "cured" and then "reinfected" by a partner is a nonissue.
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Posted by Mon Oct 27, 2008 6:33pm PDT
I had hpv and my midwife told me that having my baby might clear it up. She was right. I havn't had an abnormal pap smear in over 4 years.
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Posted by Solie Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:04pm PDT
I think at one point or another we will all have it. I think it's important to be honest and always have safe inetrcourse. To get check regualrly. I know you can always pass new strains. It's messed up alot of insurance companies work the way they do. Hopefully she finds someway to get insurance.
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Posted by Amy Tue Nov 24, 2009 3:21pm PST
I foung out from my Dr. today that I have hpv. strain 18. I have been in a happy faithful relationship for one year. WE have unprotected sex because we are faithful to each other. I would like to know if there is anyone out there that know if there is a male hpv test that can be done for him. I understand that he more than likely has it because i'm his sex partner, and i have it. Do we need to use condums until we find out for him if he is clear, and if it clears up on it's own can he give it back to me if he is infected? My point is we have been unprotected this far should we even bother with it now, and if one of clear up and have hpv no loger can we have the ping pong effect with each other and pass it back and forth.
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