:wave: HPV is an STD that is tranmsitted through skin-to-skin contact, therefore, condoms will not protect you. It's also possible to get infected without sexual contact because it is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact (if you have a wart on your scrotum, thigh, etc. and touch another person or yourself elsewhere, you can pass it along that way). This is where the condom issue comes into play. HPV is also known to "incubate" for YEARS without ever showing a sign or symptom if infection. I've read where couples that have been together, monogamously, for 12 years or more and are just now showing signs of infection. On the other hand, for some people, it shows up right away. It really depends on the person and how well their immune system can fight it. That's why taking vitamins, daily, can be beneficial.

There are, currently, about 100 different strains classified as "high risk" & "low risk". The high risk strains are not associated with actual warts, but will cause you to have cervical cellular abnormalities (dysplasia) identified through abnormal paps. If left untreated, it will progress to cervical cancer (depending on the person, that usually takes 7-10 years; it's a slow process). The low risk strains are not associated with any cancerous cervical cellular abnormalities, but will cause you to have actual warts. It is completely possible to be infected with multiple strains at one time, causing you to have actual warts and abnormal cells. It's also COMPLETELY possible to be infected with the low risk strains and have actual warts not present on the vagina itself but "hidden" in the cervix.

There are no tests available to confirm infection. A blood test will not confirm infection because the virus doesn't live in the blood, it lives in the skin & because of that, men are considered to be "carriers" of the high risk strains (those strains show no signs of infection on men). Without a visible wart, diagnosis is impossible for men. There is a test out for women called The HPV DNA Digene Test, which is normally done on women who have had abnormal paps. This test identifies which strains a woman has been infected with & is usually performed on biopsied tissue. About 80% of the sexually active population is infected and don't even know it and therefore, condom manufacturers are changing the labels on their condoms to warn the public that this disease does exist and condoms aren't guaranteed to protect you from it!

I have also read that 99.7% of all cervical abnormalities are caused by HPV (which doesn't make me happy), 20% of all oral cancers (due to high risk strains) are attributed to HPV, & penile cancer has been linked to HPV. I'm not sure how much of that info is accurate, but it's what I've read on various websites, although each one says something different! There ARE other factors which would cause you to have abnormal cells, such as lack of folic acid & other vitamins, just delivering a baby, etc. I, for example, had an abnormal pap 8 years ago (after I had my daughter; 6 wk post partum check up), they biopsied my tissue, tested it and it came back negative for HPV (I'm also EXTREMELY deficient in the vitamin department) - so it does happen!

As far as the research on HPV and pregnancy, I've found that HPV cannot be passed to a fetus in utero because the disease doesn't live in the blood - which is good news for women that are infected with high risk strains. Although a vaginal delivery for women that are infected with low risk strains isn't advisable because when actual warts are present, you pose a risk of passing them along to the newborn during delivery. Usually when actual warts are present, doctors will do a c-section. Other than that, I haven't found a problem with being pregnant and having HPV.

The good news is medical scientists are currently working on a vaccine for this disease, but I'm not sure if it's targeted towards protecting women that are not infected or killing the virus for women who are infected. I guess we'll just have to wait and see! :rolleyes: