HPV From Indonesian Massage - Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Message Board

bulkspin · 06-23-2008, 10:32 PM

I am almost 100% sure that I contracted HPV while getting a "legitimate" massage in Indonesia. It started with 2 ladies and a third warty senior citizen joined in. She cackled, spoke my first name, I turned ticklish, and it seemed to be getting so creepy that I called it off. This massage did not involve and genital contact (it was supposed to be a relaxing hotel room massage).

When I returned home I developed a warty looking zit right below my sternum. The doctor extracted it (and left a 1 inch scar, but I was warned and consented). The tissue came back from the lab as HPV.

In and around that time (shortly afterwards, I believe) I got these little pimple-like warts around my genitals. One or two on my penis. I read somewhere to just "pop" them, squeeze the insides out, mop up the blood, disinfect and they would all eventuallly go away.

They did - that was 10 years ago. They have not returned. There may be some scars, but they are so small that they cannot be noticed.

Anyway, I did not have sex for over a year prior to the wart "attack" and the only warty thing I came in contact with was the hands of the old woman. NOTE - at no time did those hands get even close to my genitals.

So if you can get HPV from a massage, this kind of throws a wrench into those who believe that HPV vaccines should not be given because a girl (or boy?) should not be having sex anyway.

I really believe my case was caused by that massage.

Does anyone know of cases of HPV being caused by Massage and NON-intimate contact?

Also, why dont boys/men get vacinated for HPV. Why only females? And why only women younger than 26 years old?

Thisby · 06-24-2008, 08:41 PM

Considering that the term HPV includes over 100 strains of the virus, including all forms of warts, and you consider that plantars and palmars warts are easily transmitted w/o sexual contact, then it's a big yes to some strains of HPV being transmitted non-sexually.

Think of all the children with warts on their hands or feet.

As for why the vaccine is only routinely give to young women, it's a cost/value thing. Right now young women have the most to benefit from it - it will keep them from getting 2 strains of high-risk cancer-causing HPV. Protecting folks from harmless warts is not a high enough priority when compared to potentially fatal cancer.

Pickle Eyes · 06-24-2008, 10:11 PM

Bulkspin, you ask a lot of good questions, but I can't answer most of them. I have no idea how you got the virus that caused the wart on your sternum. And I have no idea what the the white bumps on your genitals were.

As Thisby said, there are more than 100 strains of HPV. About 20 cause genital problems.

I realize it is easy to say that the massage (though it doesn't sound like a massage to me . . . ) "caused" the two concerns you've expressed. The bad news about HPV (especially high risk HPV) is it can be in your system without any known problems for years and years and years. Personally, I was exposed to high risk HPV at *least* 16 years ago (I've been with hubby that long, and we've both been faithful). It was just this year the doctor discovered I was positive for high risk HPV, which they later found was actually early stage cervical cancer. So, HPV doesn't show immediate problems.

I hope that helps.

newpatient485 · 06-25-2008, 01:12 PM

The two warts could be totally unrelated. Also, HPV is also the virus that causes plantars warts (the ones you often get on your feet), so that could have been the type of HPV you had there.

But like everyone said, there's really no way of know when, where or from whom you got this. The best thing you can do is educate yourself and any partners as much as possible, make sure anyone you are with is getting their yearly exams and check if they're vaccinated.