dceptiveophelia
07-03-2007, 09:15 PM
Once you've had hpv/warts is it ever ok to have sex without a condom? For example, say i caught hpv/warts from my boyfriend (nothing for sure yet, but i've had a scare...am getting the gardasil (sp?) vaccine asap, and am on the lookout for any developments down below) but we are in a monogamous relationship. So, since we both basically have it, is it ever ok for us not to use condoms? What if we want to have children someday? Thanks in advance...I'm just a big confused anxiety messball right now!
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Thisby
07-04-2007, 01:10 PM
If you and your bf have already been having unprotected sex and one of you had hpv, then you can assume the other person now has it. There would be no point - as far as protection from HPV - to wearing a condom with that partner (assuming you each stay monogamous). Did that make sense? It's hard to explain. Like, since you both would have it, wearing a condom for it is pointless.
What makes you think either of you may have it?
What makes you think either of you may have it?
Frynd1
07-04-2007, 04:24 PM
I'm kind of confused here too... First of all, there are different strands of HPV. I'm not sure how many, I just know you can catch it more then once and some strands are more aggressive then others. Meaning if you had HPV before sleeping with your current boyfriend, then it is possible he could give it to you again, assuming he has a different strand. The vaccination does not protect against every strand either. However it would still be a good idea to get it because I believe it protects you from the most dangerous kinds. Keep in mind... some strands of HPV don't have any symptoms at all...
LAgirl81
07-04-2007, 04:42 PM
If you two have already been having sex with a condom, chances are you both share the same strains now. HPV is transmitted skin-to-skin so condoms don't fully protect you-- that is why it is so common and most sexually active people in this world have it, have had it, or will have it.
Getting the vaccine is important! As far as having sex without condoms, I say it makes no difference now if you've already been having sex with them. But of course, if you want to take more precautions, definitely use them (although like I said, condoms won't fully protect you).
Who had the warts and when was the last outbreak? I believe that sex should be avoided during outbreaks because that's when HPV is most contagious. Warts outbreaks don't last forever though-- I may be wrong, but I believe that most people who catch the low-risk strains of HPV (that cause warts) *typically* have a few outbreaks and then they don't come back as the body recognizes the virus and suppresses it.
What you should be more concerned about is high-risk HPV which can lead to cervical cancer. Getting the vaccine will protect you from 2 strains of HPV that cause up to 70% of all cervical cancers. But remember to get your annual pap smear as that's the best way to detect any pre-cancerous changes.
Getting the vaccine is important! As far as having sex without condoms, I say it makes no difference now if you've already been having sex with them. But of course, if you want to take more precautions, definitely use them (although like I said, condoms won't fully protect you).
Who had the warts and when was the last outbreak? I believe that sex should be avoided during outbreaks because that's when HPV is most contagious. Warts outbreaks don't last forever though-- I may be wrong, but I believe that most people who catch the low-risk strains of HPV (that cause warts) *typically* have a few outbreaks and then they don't come back as the body recognizes the virus and suppresses it.
What you should be more concerned about is high-risk HPV which can lead to cervical cancer. Getting the vaccine will protect you from 2 strains of HPV that cause up to 70% of all cervical cancers. But remember to get your annual pap smear as that's the best way to detect any pre-cancerous changes.
dceptiveophelia
07-04-2007, 08:00 PM
Hi Thisby! Thanks so much for your reply, it definitely made sense. My bf got tested for STDs a few months ago before we met and everything came up negative. We had sex with a condom twice, but then I got on the pill again and we've agreed to be monogamous, so we had sex twice w/o protection. Well, he went into the doc a couple days ago for something else, and decided to get tested again just in case. They found genital warts, which neither of us saw (he is used to having normal male bumps on his junk throughout his life), and froze them off. But his doc was saying I should get a pap and the gardasil vaccine, but that it was really likely I'd contract the warts as well. I just got a pap about a month ago, so my doc @ the clinic said it would be pointless to get another one, and to just let them know if I started to see any lesions.
I'm getting my first shot of the vaccine on Monday. I guess even if I already am infected, it might help prevent some of the other strains.
LAGirl- my bf had the warts, he just found out a couple days ago because he thought they were those normals bumps he's always had. They froze them off and said they should fall off in a week or so. I don't have any symptoms yet, but I think it might be too soon to tell.
I was just so bummed about this for the past couple days because he is only my 3rd sexual partner in my whole life, and we were both clean from our previous tests. And I'm all about monogamous relationships. Sorry if this was a total rant, hope it all makes sense! Thank you both for all the input! I'm feeling alot better about this today!
I'm getting my first shot of the vaccine on Monday. I guess even if I already am infected, it might help prevent some of the other strains.
LAGirl- my bf had the warts, he just found out a couple days ago because he thought they were those normals bumps he's always had. They froze them off and said they should fall off in a week or so. I don't have any symptoms yet, but I think it might be too soon to tell.
I was just so bummed about this for the past couple days because he is only my 3rd sexual partner in my whole life, and we were both clean from our previous tests. And I'm all about monogamous relationships. Sorry if this was a total rant, hope it all makes sense! Thank you both for all the input! I'm feeling alot better about this today!
hope1215
07-06-2007, 05:36 AM
Once you've had hpv/warts is it ever ok to have sex without a condom? For example, say i caught hpv/warts from my boyfriend (nothing for sure yet, but i've had a scare...am getting the gardasil (sp?) vaccine asap, and am on the lookout for any developments down below) but we are in a monogamous relationship. So, since we both basically have it, is it ever ok for us not to use condoms? What if we want to have children someday? Thanks in advance...I'm just a big confused anxiety messball right now!
If you do searches online about living with genital warts and treatments, it says that when genital warts do appear, it is up to you if you want to do something about them or not, because partners can still transmit the virus to each other without the warts showing, it doesnt really matter. So there really isnt a reason that you have to wear a condom to not spread it, if you both already have it. I was diagnosed with genital warts last year, as hard as a blow as it first comes to you, you learn to live with it and you realize, you could have much much much worse viruses, or diseases to live with.
I've had them taken off with nitrogen, hurts like hell, but they havent been back.
As far as children go, I am trying to conceive right now with my fiance, and I have consulted with my gyne, you can have a perfectly normal and healthy baby. The only thing is that because of the stress of pregnancy you may break out, or break out worse, stress causes warts to appear. In a very rare case you can transmit genital warts to your babys throat during birth, but that is why your doctor would perform a c-section on you, if you did have a bad break out before delivery that wasnt able to be cleared up.
Besides checking yourself regularly, and visitin the doctors to get them removed because they are unsightly, or irritating to you, living with genital warts is not as bad as it sounds, I dont recommend it of course, but if you have to deal with it, it's not bad at all. :)
If you do searches online about living with genital warts and treatments, it says that when genital warts do appear, it is up to you if you want to do something about them or not, because partners can still transmit the virus to each other without the warts showing, it doesnt really matter. So there really isnt a reason that you have to wear a condom to not spread it, if you both already have it. I was diagnosed with genital warts last year, as hard as a blow as it first comes to you, you learn to live with it and you realize, you could have much much much worse viruses, or diseases to live with.
I've had them taken off with nitrogen, hurts like hell, but they havent been back.
As far as children go, I am trying to conceive right now with my fiance, and I have consulted with my gyne, you can have a perfectly normal and healthy baby. The only thing is that because of the stress of pregnancy you may break out, or break out worse, stress causes warts to appear. In a very rare case you can transmit genital warts to your babys throat during birth, but that is why your doctor would perform a c-section on you, if you did have a bad break out before delivery that wasnt able to be cleared up.
Besides checking yourself regularly, and visitin the doctors to get them removed because they are unsightly, or irritating to you, living with genital warts is not as bad as it sounds, I dont recommend it of course, but if you have to deal with it, it's not bad at all. :)
beezkneez
07-07-2007, 05:39 AM
My bf got tested for STDs a few months ago before we met and everything came up negative.
Ok Ophelia....hpv can not be detected in STD tests. There are 2 kinds of HPV and neither unless there are outer warts will show up in the tests. One causes the outer warts like your boyfriend. The other is dorment in males but causes cervical cell changes in females.
You have started on the right foot with getting the vaccine. But since you have been exposed to the active HPV your boyfriend had, it is probably likely that you have it as well. But that does not exactly mean that you will have it. You may have the virus in your body, but it may just remain dormant (you won't have any symptoms) Let's hope that is the case.
But like the other ladies have said, condoms are not 100% effective. And since you have had unprotected sex with your boyfriend already it is safe to assume that what he has....you have and you aren't going to pass anything back and forth or anything.
You asked about maybe having children in the future---HPV should not effect your having children. Just keep up regular paps and if you find any bumps around your genital area, have them checked. If something does develope it will be removed. But you can have healthy children in the future. Don't worry ;)
If you have any more questions hun, or you are confused about anything here...just ask. Hope this helps. :wave:
Ok Ophelia....hpv can not be detected in STD tests. There are 2 kinds of HPV and neither unless there are outer warts will show up in the tests. One causes the outer warts like your boyfriend. The other is dorment in males but causes cervical cell changes in females.
You have started on the right foot with getting the vaccine. But since you have been exposed to the active HPV your boyfriend had, it is probably likely that you have it as well. But that does not exactly mean that you will have it. You may have the virus in your body, but it may just remain dormant (you won't have any symptoms) Let's hope that is the case.
But like the other ladies have said, condoms are not 100% effective. And since you have had unprotected sex with your boyfriend already it is safe to assume that what he has....you have and you aren't going to pass anything back and forth or anything.
You asked about maybe having children in the future---HPV should not effect your having children. Just keep up regular paps and if you find any bumps around your genital area, have them checked. If something does develope it will be removed. But you can have healthy children in the future. Don't worry ;)
If you have any more questions hun, or you are confused about anything here...just ask. Hope this helps. :wave:
dceptiveophelia
07-08-2007, 09:04 PM
Thank you so much everyone for all the information and amazing support! I was so scared and upset when this first happened. I started crying, and my bf thought for sure i was going to break up with him. I am going for my first vaccine tomorrow. Since I don't have health insurance, my bf is paying for the vaccine out of his pocket ($118 per shot). The first warts he had have fallen off, but his doc warned him about the 2nd outbreak. And I'm still going to be on the lookout for symptoms with myself. I was thinking it would be best if we just abstained from sex altogether for six months--after I've gotten all the vaccines at least.
Thanks again everyone for making me feel better! I give you all big hugs!
Thanks again everyone for making me feel better! I give you all big hugs!