Over 90 percent of people who get HPV will have their immune systems take care of the virus within two years. The reason your girlfriend was diagnosed with HPV is because she received a Pap smear, which is typically done annually on women.
The Pap smear checks for abnormal, pre-cancerous changes in the cells of the cervix. Almost all abnormalities in the cells are caused by a strain of HPV. HPV is passed from one person to the other by skin-to-skin contact. Not just any skin, it has to be infected and must rub up against an area that it likes to infect, such as the anus, the penis, the vulva and even the mouth.
Besides the cervical Pap smear, there are only a couple of other ways to test for some HPV strains. For example, there is an anal Pap test that you can get if you have had unprotected anal sex.
You can also test for some cancers visually — however, doctors are able to sight a cancer growth typically when the cancer is a bit more advanced. Genital warts are also caused by HPV, though the strains that cause warts do not cause cancer. The only way to know if you have HPV that causes warts is if you have a wart.
Warts can also go away on their own. Because you are the only sexual partner your girlfriend has ever had, you gave her HPV. You had no symptoms; there is no test for men for that particular strain. And the truth is that figuring out what it means to be HPV positive can be immensely confusing, thanks in large part to the fact that there are so many different strains.
If you're not totally sure what to make of all this information, you're not alone. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
While there are types of HPV that are totally harmless, there are others that can be very dangerous for you and your partners and their partners. Having safe sex isn't good enough to ensure that you don't pass HPV to your partner. There's no way to test guys for the virus.
Because it's so common, talking about it is really not a big deal. But talking to your doctor make it even easier. She has spent her career as a reporter and editor covering people's lives with a focus on wellness. Zahra specializes in sexual, reproductive, and mental health, all with the goal of destigmatizing Read more. Topics HPV cervical cancer sexually transmitted infections stds.
Sign up for our SELF Daily Wellness newsletter All the best health and wellness advice, tips, tricks, and intel, delivered to your inbox every day.
Some health care providers apply an acetic wash vinegar as a means of highlighting lesions, but this is not a specific test for HPV and may lead to overdiagnosis. Most cases of HPV, in either gender, remain unconfirmed clinically.
However, studies show that in most cases a healthy immune system will be likely to clear, or suppress, HPV eventually. Some cases may persist for years and result in recurrent lesions, but this is not the norm. The bottom line is that most who have genital HPV DNA detected in research studies eventually test negative, often within a year or two.
Still, HPV does not seem likely to always be active. Skip to content. Talking to a Partner Before discussing things with a partner think about addressing any of your own questions or issues about HPV. This is why it is usually impossible to determine when or from whom HPV may have been contracted.
A recent diagnosis of HPV does not necessarily mean anyone has been unfaithful, even in a long-term relationship spanning years. Medical Impact: The medical risks of genital HPV do exist and should not to be overlooked, but a key point is that for most people, HPV is a harmless infection that does not result in visible symptoms or health complications.
0コメント