How many people know for a fact that they have HPV?

Question

When did you find out? Also, how do you know? Did you have warts or an abnormal pap? Did you have that new test done? Are you a guy who's had sex with a girl who had it? What?

Also, what were you told by your doctor?

I'm just curious because I've had it for a while now and I had to do all my own research because my doctor totally left me in the dark about this. I'm just curious to see if anything has improved in the last 10 years concerning how the medical profession handles this.

Answer 1

I know for a fact I have HPV. I have had the virus for over 6 years now.

I was diagnosed right after I turned 17. I went in to see my doctor because I had sores in my genital area. She diagnosed me with genital herpes and gave me a pap smear (the very first one I had). That pap smear came back abnormal and I was sent to see an OBGYN. They gave me another pap smear and told me I had precancerous cells on my cervix and that I had HPV. I had a really aggressive form of HPV which eventually did turn into cervical cancer. Luckily, they were able to remove the cancerous cells and I didn't have to go through chemotherapy or have a hysterectomy done. I've been seeing my OBGYN every 4 months for the last 6 years now. I have had a few abnormal pap smears since then, but it turned out to be nothing.

My doctor really didn't say much about HPV though. All she really told me was that it's not really a "big deal" and that a lot do people have it. Most of the information I know about it is from information I have researched about the virus over the years. I hadn't even heard of HPV when I was diagnosed with it.

Answer 2

I was diagnosed with HPV on May 3rd, 2007. I have genital warts. My doctor left me in the dark as well. The pap smear came back normal. My doctor said that low risk types of HPV go away between 6 months and 2 years after contracting the virus. The immune system fights the virus off and then you become immune to whatever type you had. I don't think there is a way to test for it (if you don't have warts or changes in the cells of the cervix). Warts are the only way to for men to know that they have the virus. Not much has changed besides the vaccine to prevent women from getting the types of HPV that causes cervical cancer and genital warts.

Answer 3

I was diagnosed about 6 years ago...although I suspect I had it for about 10 years. I had an abnormal pap (benign squamous atypia) which bsically means 'abnormal cell growth' on the end of my cervix. I had to have a copolscopy (sp?) and then had to have 4 follow up paps in a year. It cleared on it's own, as it had 10 years earlier...when i was diagnosed with the same thing, and same procedure (which leads me to believe that I had it then...but was it was not recognized) I never had any outward symptoms, and it has always cleared on it's own. I was told that there are literally hundreds of strains of HPV, and only a couple cause warts. Also, with so many strains, it is impossible to test for it..but rather is a symptomatic diagnosis. I don;t know what is changed...I have heard that they can test for it now...but I can't verify that.

Answer 4

I was diagnosed with it in October of 06. I had one out break of low risk strands 6 and 11 that cause genital warts. I went to my doctor for another papsmear in April and I was fine...I also started the sessions for Gardasyl.
My doctor told me that the virus will clear on it's own so that I don't have nothing to worry about. So I don't worry about it.
I take multivitamins/ herbal vitamns (for my immune system) I exercise, and eat right...
I've been thankful and when I contracted it my partner had no signs of it...still till this day...he doens't have any symptoms...it's crazy!!! =)
I just say...keep healthy and be safe...