anyone know about HPV? help! - Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Message Board

sharona714 · 06-10-2007, 11:53 AM

Hi, I am newly diagnosed with cervical cancer and got it from a high risk strain of the virus HPV. Now I don't know who gave it to me but I know my husband HAS to have it gotten it from me by now. I know HPV sometime can go away on it's own but won't my husband and I just keep reinfecting each other with it? I feel like I never want to have sex with him again. I am sooo afraid that either he is the one that gave it to me and caused this whole mess to begin with or that we will just keep giving it back and forth to each other. I mean I love my husband and all but I feel like I just want to erase my whole sexual history and start new. I feel like his penis is "dirty" now and don't want it near me. Am I crazy or sick to think this way? I don't want to end my marriage but I don't know what to do. Can anyone please give me some advice? Thanks

FromSqueaky · 06-10-2007, 06:11 PM

Once you have HPV you never get rid of it once infected with a HPV strain you keep that strain. There are over 100 different HPV strains. Men are carriers and spread it to women. They don't have any consequences. He could have gotten it from any of the women that he was with before you.

shellshell82 · 06-10-2007, 07:20 PM

Sharona,

I am sorry to hear about your situation. I understand those kinds of feelings you are having towards your husband and having sex with him - both my husband and I have felt similar feelings about having sex with one another - we have wondered if we are just reinfecting one another, and if it will EVER go away (my husband has the warts, but I have never had any warts that I know of, and never had an abnormal pap smear - but since we have had "unprotected" sex since we got married 3 years ago, I assume I would have the virus by now!)

We are just trying to ignore the whole thing on the whole - and not let it interfere with our sex life. If I have never shown evidence of having the virus on me, then there is nothing they can do to treat me. In the meantime, my husband is pursuing treatment... albeit unsuccessfully as yet.

I have heard that it is possible for the body to rid itself of the virus.

All the best... hopefully the feelings pass with a little bit of time, and some talking to your husband about your feelings.

FromSqueaky · 06-10-2007, 10:57 PM

You never actually get rid of it. The virus can go dormant and never show it's self for many years. I have an older friend that's in her mid 70's who's husband passed away. She was a virgin when she married her husband. They were both around the age of 20 when they married.
Just a couple years ago in her early 70's she was told she had HPV. Her husband always claimed he was a virgin too when they married so that meant he had to have cheated on her.
You can have it and never know it until it rears it's head during a pap smear or if you have warts or other complications in your female area.
They say that poor health can activate the HPV cells

EDIT: forgot to say that she has not been with any other man in her lifetime excpet her husband.

shellshell82 · 06-11-2007, 04:12 AM

I have heard a lot of people say you never get rid of the virus, but my husband's doc thinks you can. Let's face it - doctors don't know everything about illnesses and how the body works! They are guessing about a lot of things.

Squeaky - did you read my post on another thread about virgins getting HPV? It CAN be transmitted non-sexually. It does happen.