how does a male tell if he is a HPV carrier? Is there a test or any visible signs?

Answer 1

Unfortunately at this time, the vast majority of men with HPV will never know they have it. There is no clinically-available test for HPV for men. The only way a man could know he had HPV was if he had genital warts. Even among people carrying wart-causing HPV strains, only 1% of them ever show warts. That's a small proportion.

Maybe in the future we'll have a test for HPV in men. That'd be nice. Soon the FDA will license Gardasil for males, so guys can get the vaccine here in the US. That's another step in the right direction. But for now, we sit and wait.

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Just to clarify what momwhoknows said, the acetic acid test detect lesions. It cannot test directly for HPV. It's like seeing tire tracks in some mud and saying, "A truck rolled through here at some point." Likewise, though you don't find fragments of actual HPV, you know it had to have been there 'cause you saw lesions. Problem is, as I explained earlier, only about 1% with wart-causing HPV carrier will have lesions. And the acetic acid test won't catch the guys carrying the kinds of HPV that cause cancer! Moreover, the acetic acid test isn't very specific, so its reliability may be questioned.

Answer 2

There's no way to tell who gave who HPV. HPV is the most commonly transmitted STD. That's basically because you don't even have to have sex to get it. You can be rubbing thighs or just getting really close, and condoms won't protect you from getting it. It's estimated that 80% of the population has it. Sometimes high risk HPV viruses can cause uterine cancer so if she does have it she'll have to have a lot of tests and follow ups with her gyno. Most men don't ever realize they have it because they don't get tested for it. Women can find out if they have it if they have an abnormal pap smear and they test for it. HPV also goes away within one to two years. She may be pretty mad if she finds out she has it, and she may break up with you, but there's no guarantee you gave it to her. She could've had it for years, most people do, and they never show any symptoms.

Answer 3

Genital warts is a sign that HPV is present. Guys can ask the dr. for a HPV test. The doctor will swab the area and send it to the lab for testing. Some dr. will place an acetic acid solution ( vinegar) on the area and HPV will show up as
being white.