Just diagnosed with HPV please help! - Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Message Board

punkrocker89 · 07-05-2007, 10:50 PM

So today I found out I have HPV. I am so scared i have no idea what to do. My doctor told me so many things about it and it was just so hard to take in at the time...so can somebody please help me understand?

First of all shes says I have the "highrisk" type. Which means i have a higher chance of cervical cancer. She also told me that since its the "high risk" type I can't give it to my boyfriend and that it doesnt cause gential warts. She said I dont even need to really tell him about it because it wont affect him. (I did anyway though). But if its not transmitable than how did I get it in the first place?

Second she gave me a choice between waiting 6 months and redoing a papsmear to check if the cells went back to normal or to have a procedure done now where they take a closer look at your cells and possibly do a biopsy.

I'm getting the Guardasil shot in a few days, should this help it go away faster?

And last question...
How can my boyfriend get tested for HPV. Would they be able to tell if he had it?

I know this is alot but i really need some help. Any advice or answers would help so much!

FromSqueaky · 07-06-2007, 10:12 AM

Unless your bf has an outbreak of warts on his genital or in his throat there is not a blood test to test men for HPV. HPV does not go away.

Gardasil is to protect your from getting the high risk strains types 16, 18, 6, and 11. Since you already have one type of high risk the shot can protect you from the other 3 types. It does not make HPV go away. Once you have HPV you keep it forever. It can go dormant in your body and never cause any problems but it is always somewhere in you body sleeping. Some people say it goes away after 2 years but my doctors say otherwise.

HPV types 16 and 18 cause about 70% of HPV-related cervical cancer case
HPV types 6 and 11 cause about 90% of genital wart cases

Gardasil is done in 3 shots. Once you get your first shot you go back in 3 moths for your second shot and then 3 months after that for your third shot.

Are you sure you understood your doctor correctly? You CAN pass it to your boyfriend. You can pass it to anyone that you have sex with. There is less of a risk of transmitting it with the use of a condom but it can still be passed.
There are over 100 strains of HPV. You can have more than one strain. So if you are with another that has a different type of HPV you can catch that strain too.

LAgirl81 · 07-06-2007, 12:40 PM

Hi punkrocker!

I know exactly what you're going through. Getting diagnosed with high-risk HPV is overwhelming and terrifying. However, the more you read and research about the virus, the less scared you will feel.

HPV is very, VERY common. Read the other posts on these boards that talk about HPV. So many people have it! At least 80% of sexually active people will get HPV in their lifetimes...if not more! It's just that some people never exhibit any signs that they have it (warts or abnormal paps).

In younger women, where HPV infection is very common, usually the body clears it/suppresses the virus on its own after a couple of years. You could do a lot to help speed that process up-- meaning, if you smoke, STOP! Smoking inreases your chances of HPV leading to cervical cancer. Eat healthy foods and exercise (Search the cervical/ovarian cancer boards for some great suggestions regarding health/diet changes). The stronger your immune system is, the better chance you have of suppressing the virus.

I want to let you know that you have nothing to worry about. You seem to be responsible and as long as you go to your follow up pap smears and check ups, everything will be taken care of.

If I were you, I would wait 6 months to do a re-pap. This would give your body some time to fight off the infection. Usually cervical biopsies are done when you have two abnormal pap smears in a row.

And just to give you an idea of how common it is-- I went to dinner with some friends from college (6 girls). After we all went home, one of my friends told me that all of us girls at dinner had HPV and are/have dealt with abnormal paps/precancerous changes. And we're all careful, responsible people when it comes to sex. Basically, if you're going to have sex, then you're probably going to get HPV (unless 2 virgins have sex together and never cheat on one another).

Definitely get the vaccine. As FromSqueaky said, it will protect you from the other strains you don't currently have. Also, my best friend's mom is a gynecologist, and she said some studies have shown that getting the vaccine has helped some women clear their pre-cancerous changes in their cervix.

It really isn't a big deal. I know all this medical terminology and jargon thrown at you is pretty scary, but the more you learn about this, the more calm you will feel. It is very manageable, treatable and your life really won't change too much from this. Just keep healthy and keep up with your doctor's visits. If you have any more questions, just ask me-- I've been through this for a couple of years so I know how stressful it can be! Take care

artzy · 02-04-2008, 11:59 AM

It angers me that doctors and even people online simply call it HPV. It should ALWAYS be spoken with either the words "Low-Risk HPV" or "High RIsk HPV" ATLEAST. They should also add the number on it as well. The words HPV should NEVER be spoken without distinguishing what type you're talking about because they are SO DIFFERENT. One can cause cancer, the other can't one can cause warts, the other can't.

There should probably be two Sub-Forums on the Forum as well.

lala87 · 02-04-2008, 08:26 PM

The other replies had some good advice, but can I offer you some also? Go ahead and get a colposcopy and a biopsy. I was diagnosed with HPV less than a month and a half ago. My doctor said I was high risk for developing cervical cancer, and that the virus is very aggressive. Right away we did the biopsy. When the results came in, she suggested a LEEP. WebMD kept me informed the whole way.

The biopsy was very similar to a pap. They do pinch off pieces of the cervix to have them examined by a pathologist, but honestly you hardly feel it. The worst part is the speculum they insert, and it's just like a pap in that respect!

I actually had the LEEP done today at 1:45. I was sooooo nervous, I almost cried. I was scared it would hurt, that it would affect my future pregnancies, etc, but really it wasn't bad. The worst part was the speculum, again. Other than that I didn't feel a thing. And it has a 95% cure rate. And right this second, I have no pain whatsoever from the surgery.

All this to say--- GET THE BIOPSY. Don't put it off. Don't be frightened. Read all you can about HPV. ****** it. You can overcome this!