I know it can go away by itself - but does it completely go away or is it 'dormant'?
If you touch warts and touch other parts of your body (or someone else's) is that area susceptible to infection? For that matter, if you touch an area of your genitals that does not have warts, can they be 'transferred' to that area?
How long does it take for warts to go away? (i realize that this can vary a lot) And do they USUALLY go away by themselves or is it usually necessary to go to the doctor? And what is this cream I keep reading about - what does it do & where do I get it?
whew, that's a lot! thanks in advance!
2006-12-21 15:09:17 · 5 answers · asked by how empty of me 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ STDs
They can go away on their own without having them removed.
2006-12-21 15:13:12 · answer #1 · answered by Nikki W 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
HPV does not ever go away in most cases. It's a virus like chicken pox - once you've got it, it's there. It can go dormant and not ever be heard from again, or it can go dormant and then flare up during different times in your life.
If you touch genital warts and then touch another place on your genitalia that does not have warts, yes, the warts can be transferred there. Genital warts do not show up on hands or feet, though. Warts on hands or feet are different strains of the human papillomavirus, and do not infect the genitals.
As far as how long it takes for them to go away? It varies. It can take anywhere from 6 months to two years. I think if you leave them alone, your immune system will eventually take care of them, but going to the doctor will take care of them a lot faster, and when they're smaller rather than larger.
I'm not sure what cream you're talking about. There are prescription creams that you apply to the warts to remove them, I think, but you'd have to go to the doctor for them.
There is also Gardisil, but that's not a cream, it's an injected vaccine against HPV, but it'smainly recommended for girls who have not yet become sexually active, as it does nothing for girls who are already infected with HPV.
2006-12-21 16:03:02 · answer #2 · answered by c4sgurl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need a prescription for the cream. There are different strains of the infection. Some go away on their own and some can lie dormant and cause cervical cancer. If you touch the warts and then touch someone else you are exposing them to the infection. Not sure if it will make warts appear in other places of the body, doubt it though. If you think you have warts you REALLY need to go to the doctor!
2006-12-21 15:15:33 · answer #3 · answered by Ray 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to talk to your gynecologist about the cream, you never get rid of HPV, it is a very common virus, therefore, forever. Virus' never leave your bloodstream. But, yes, they can go away on their own, you will need to monitor it with your gynecologist, but...I would treat them. You need to have a pap smear every 6 months cause the virus can travel to your cervix and there are 4 strands that can cause cervical cancer. You might have your gyno take a blood sample and see if you have this strand. If not, I would ask for the immunization. If you have a good immune system, the visual effects of HPV may go away in a few weeks with treatment, I do not know how long without. I don't think you can transfer the wart to the rest of your body, but I believe you can transfer it to your partners genitals if it is on your hands, I am not sure. You see, the wart seems to "like" the certain type of skin in the genital area. Don't know much about that, but I know that a wart you get on your hand may or may not go to your genitals, I don't think it does. But....I haven't researched this topic in awhile since my friend found out she had this virus, since her I have known many people with it, so...don't stress. Go to some web sites and research it too, it can help.
2006-12-21 15:19:51 · answer #4 · answered by me 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like Herpes, this is a viral infection and yes, you can get infected in between "Outbreaks" The problem is that for men there is no test if you don't have a wart. I know there have been some experiments with the HPV vaccine in men. You should set up an appointment with her doctor to see what you can do to protect yourself and possibly get a referal to a urologist to see what are the current treatments and test for HPV in men.
2016-05-23 11:41:43 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋