How Can I Manage My High-Risk HPV?

Question

I had surgery to remove pre-cancerous cells from my cervix. I know that I will be contagious and have HPV for life. I also know that males are carriers and if I give HPV to a male, he won't know and can pass it on.

How can I make sure that I can still have a sex life and not put other women at risk? Honestly, I'm also worried about the stigma of having an STD. I think I got it from my first sex partner.

Answer 1

I have had HPV for about 10 years now. I have had 2 surgeries to get rid of the bad cells. I have finally had my first set of "normal" pap smears in 10 years. It appears my body has finally cleared itself of this infection. They were talking about having the 3rd surgery and decided to wait it out and it actually went away, the infection that is.

I will pray yours does too. Yes, you will have it for the rest of your life. My OBGYN said that only 7% of women do Not have HPV. He thinks that little boys should have the vaccine too as they, guys, carry it and give it without knowing it. There are over 30 strands of the HPV virus and the vaccine only protects 4 of them. He said it would be too expensive to make a vaccine for every strand and there may be even more strands we do not know about.

Always tell your partner you have it. It is their right to know. Even if they have it too, they may have a different strand of the virus and you may become reinfected if your infection has been cleared by your body and vice versa with your partner and each other knows about it.

Even with protection, you can still get it as if they have the warts, and the warts are near the area and touch you, you can get them on a different part of your body like your groin or thigh or even some cases your mouth. You have to be careful and you have to be honest with your partners. Encourage women to have the yearly paps. It can detect the virus if they have it, and it may save them from cervical cancer.

Don't worry about the stigma, it is the most common STD out there. You should be more worried about spreading the word about protecting youngsters with the knowledge of how they can protect themselves. I think my OBGYN is right. Little boys should probably get the vaccine too, not just the little girls.

Answer 2

There is lots of emotional baggage that comes with our diagnosis of HPV. I wish we could get passed the idea that HPV is a STI. This STI is common and most people that have had sex acquire the virus most don’t know they carry it. Many people acquire the virus at first sexual encounter.

Condoms will provide some protection but they do not prevent the transmission of the virus.

We probably are not contagious our entire life...but we really don't know when we are contagious and when we are not. A healthy body usually builds antibodies to the virus, but he virus can reactivate years later do to a weaken immune .

Tell your potential new sex partner of your past HPV infection and hope that he tells future sex partners, but we as women should be knowledgeable regarding yearly Pap test with pelvic screening.

Do the little things that help you fight the virus, condoms eating your greens, getting adequate sleep (the body cells heal in stage four sleep) exercise a multi-vitamin may help..live a healthy life style, if you are 26 or under ask your doctor about the HPV vaccine.

Good luck to you. I wish you well.

Answer 3

Do not worry about the people who make fun of people with STD's. They are just uneducated. HPV is VERY common and these people who make fun of you could have it and not even know it. It can be transferred even using a condom. So, basically the best thing to do is to save sex until you find someone special. If you continue to have sex with guys you don't care that much about, it will demote your self esteem and also further your risk for other STD's. Find the guy who you know will love you, even if you have an STD. I did!

Answer 4

Become a Nun,and forget Sex,and help the poor.