Actually, after about a year with no visible warts, you can probably consider yourself cured. Your body will resolve the virus over time. You won't catch the same strain again, but you also won't be contagious, either.
Actually, after about a year with no visible warts, you can probably consider yourself cured. Your body will resolve the virus over time. You won't catch the same strain again, but you also won't be contagious, either.
Hi there,
Can you please indicate how you received this information? I do hope that is true. I know my doctor didn't tell me that.
I completely agree with you speed bumps. I don't have HPV, but was always under the impression that there is no cure for HPV. It's transmissable even by skin to skin contact. Many web sites have indiacted pretty much the same info. as there being no cure.
I can't post the sites, unfortunately; I think that's against board rules. However, I can tell you that new and very reputable research shows that HPV is cleared after 6 - 12 months in over 90% of infected people. Much of that has to do with your immune system, but you can also have a well-functioning immune system and still have recurrences of HPV.
It'll probably help to remember that HPV is pretty innocuous. Some strains can cause cervical cancer (preventable with regular pap smears), some cause visible warts (harmless), and others cause no symptoms at all. None are a big deal at all. And at least about 80% of the population has contracted at least one strain, btw. Don't stress out over this. It's fine, you'll be fine :-)
I can't post the sites, unfortunately; I think that's against board rules. However, I can tell you that new and very reputable research shows that HPV is cleared after 6 - 12 months in over 90% of infected people.
I understand that you can't post the sites, but where is this research from, who conducted it?
I have not read this research, but it does not sound completely impossible. Many people are diagnosed with HPV during their first outbreak, and then go the rest of their lives without another one. But that doesn't mean that you wouldn't be contagious to others even if your own immune system is able to keep the virus in check. Again, I haven't read this research myself.
My question would be how do you know if you are in the 10% of people who remain infected? There are no reliable tests for HPV. Some people would consider that a pretty large chance to take.
I agree with you that the virus is mostly innocuous.
The University of Washington for one. They discovered this by running HPV DNA tests; in about 90% of people, the tests showed negative for HPV after 6 - 12 months. There's an ASHASTD "Myths about HPV" page that has some of this info.
Personally, I don't think HPV is anything to even worry about. Definitely tell your partners, but don't stress out about it. I mean, the worst that can happen is you contract a strain that can cause cervical cancer - so get annual pap smears and take care of your health. I think the only reason people freak out about this is because it's a STD. If you caught this type of HPV from someone sneezing on you, I guarantee it would be treated like the non-event it really is.
There is no cure for HPV but mostly the bodies immune systems deals with it itself and stops any implications like cervical cell changes.
I don't know where the information came from that you can't be infected with the same strain of HPV twice. You DO NOT become immune to it.
You certainly do develop an immunity to that particular strain. That doesn't mean you can't contract a *different* strain, though. There are like 80 strains...
Yes I am aware of the number of strains there are, but never before have I heard that if you get rid of a strain you become immune to it and will never catch it again.
So if thats the case you must be saying that if you have genital warts and get rid of the virus from your body you are then immune to getting warts again? Maybe I'm not getting what you mean because that doesn't sound right.
Personally, I don't think HPV is anything to even worry about. . . .I think the only reason people freak out about this is because it's a STD. If you caught this type of HPV from someone sneezing on you, I guarantee it would be treated like the non-event it really is.
Well said! I agree completely, people are devastated when they hear "STD." This board is filled with people who are freaking out because they have just been diagnosed, and it really isn't the end of the world. As you said, it is a "non-event."
When I was diagnosed with HPV, I discovered that several friends also had the virus, but they were keeping it secret because they were ashamed to have an STD. The doctor who first diagnosed me made me feel guilty about it! Once I got home, did some research, and learned more about HPV, I was angry! Needless to say, I never returned to that practice. It really is disturbing how society, and some medical professionals, treat this, all because of the "STD" aspect.
Analog, I agree. This is why I make a point to be very open about my STD status (I have herpes); I want to help people realize having a STD is hardly the end of the world.
As for your doctor's office, I'm sorry you had that experience. I've been lucky because our family doctor is very open and accepting, totally non-judgemental, but he's a rarity where I live. I do think things are getting better, though. Med students are much better trained to deal with these kinds of issues. In the meantime, though, you might consider going to a STD clinic with any concerns. This is all they deal with, so they've heard it all, and are about as far from judgemental as it gets.
sparkleflower, there are only a few strains that cause warts, so if you get those strains and then get rid, you would then be immune to any wart causing strain? is that right?
I'm just really curious, I have HPV myself and thought I knew all there was to know about it!
Hi analog, it was the same when I was diagnosed. The nurse just said to me "its genital warts, it means you have more change of getting cervical cancer." she never explained why though! So after much reading about HPV I then realised how many people actually have it and was angry at the way I had been treated.
Yes, but you would have had to contract every wart-causing strain first. And it is possible you could be one of the 10% who does not resolve the virus, which means it could flare up again at some point in the future.
There's new research all the time about HPV, but there's also a lot of misinformation and outdated information out there. Keep an eye open :-)
Ah I see, sorry if I was a bit quick off the mark, its just I have been on a few forums where people through about all sorts of misinformation that sounds like they have blatantly just made it up themselves!
Thats interesting to know that you can become immune to a certain strain once it leaves your body. I wonder why this happens.
Well, you probably don't get rid of the virus altogether. But it appears that the tiny amount that's left isn't enough to be contagious, which is why they say that you're safe after 6 - 12 months without an outbreak.
you're safe after 6 - 12 months without an outbreak.
But once again, you would only be "safe" from that particular strain, and this is assuming that you are in the 90% who do clear the virus. It is possible (even likely) to be infected with more than one strain at the same time. And if you were infected with one of the strains that did not cause visible warts, you would have no way to judge when the 6-12 month window was. Just wanted to clarify!
