FD

Hi Lindsay.

I was just recently diagnosed with HPV/mild displasia, and went through all the agonizing months of testing and all that. Not very fun, huh?

I answered a similar question about the procedures themselves on the Womens Health board here at [url="http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/Forum125/HTML/000077.html"]http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/Forum125/HTML/000077.html[/url] if you want to read it. The girl that asked didn't have HPV per se, so I didn't really address the HPV there, just the procedures I went through in detail. The procedures themselves are NOT that painful, just uncomfortable. And what's a little discomfort if it can save your life?

The good news is that the procedures are NOT all that bad. The bad news is that there is just NOT a lot of info out there about HPV. It's endlessly frustrating for me, because I really want to know what's going on in my body...and basically, no one knows much about HPV. The only reputable info about HPV so far that answered even a FEW questions I found at [url="http://www.herpes.org/drray/humanpapillomavirus101.shtml"]http://www.herpes.org/drray/humanpapillomavirus101.shtml[/url] which I noticed someone linked to here on this board as well. (And don't freak out that it's on a herpes site, I specifically asked my gyn if there was any connection between the herpes virus and HPV and there is not.) It's a good source of info...but basically it says that HPV is a mystery. HPV can be sexually transmitted, but it's also thought to be a latent virus in the body that may be activated by sexual contact (and that means protected sex could have "encouraged" it in your system). Does that really answer any questions? NO. *laughs* I'm continually suprised at how little info is out there when it comes to women's health.

It's up to you if you want to tell you previous partner about your diagnosis of HPV. I asked my gyn about the possibility of my husband and I re-encouraging outbreaks in one another, and she said unless he is showing active signs (like you mentioned) there is nothing you can do. The same test that they do for women during the colposcopy (they swab the inside of the cervix with vinegar which causes the damaged cells to get all irritated and red) is apparently available for men as well (they take a cloth soaked in vinegar and wrap it around the penis), according to my gyn, so he can be tested for HPV. Since HPV isn't always giant visible warts, the test can show changes that maybe aren't visible. You may want to tell him he may be a carrier of this virus, so that he can get tested and can make sure to have protected sex with his future partners. That is your decision to make. (Considering the fact that he should be doing that already, it's rather irritating that you would have to be diagnosed with a virus and have to tell him he's carrying it just so he will be SAFE with future partners! But that's just my opinion.)

You asked if HPV was an actual STD or a sexually transmitted virus. Well, that's kind of the same thing, just a different word (virus instead of disease). Herpes is considered an STD, but it too is a virus. STD is a term used kind of loosley to identify groups of things passed from partner to partner. Yes, HPV is considered a virus, but it's also considered an STD (in some cases...again, it all depends on who you talk to and what you read. So frustrating!)

I hope this answers at least a couple of your questions...I wish I could be more help. And hopefully the other board link will give you some insight on the pain issue of the procedures (practically painless for the most part!!). I think that's enough babbling for me. Good luck.