Maybe I caught it from the toilet seat?

April 14, 2011 8:31 PM

I have been dating the same man for 4 years. We've been monogamous for about 3 and a half years. When we became monogamous, I had the full round of STD testing done, all negative. Since then, I've had regular yearly pap smears that included testing for HPV. All negative. Until today, when my doctor called me to tell me that the pap smear I had last week tested positive for HPV.

He told me that he had no idea how that could have happened, but it was no big deal. He said not to do anything differently in my life at all, except coming in for another pap smear in 6 months instead of a year. I am freaking out here. Can anyone think of any way I could have come down with HPV after three and a half years of clean tests except my boyfriend cheating on me? Is it really true that HPV is no big deal? If you were me, would you go in for all the other STD tests just in case?

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (17 answers total)

I'm no gyno, but:

HPV can lay dormant for years. Even in long-term monogamous relationships, genital warts or cervical changes can occur without an obvious infectious event.
posted by Miko at 8:39 PM on April 14, 2011 [15 favorites]

HPV can remain dormant for a long period of time. Having tested positive for it is not proof that one party is cheating on the other. I would speak with your doctor about dormancy periods.
posted by dfriedman at 8:39 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

OK, deep breath, you.

Wikipedia says transmission is not solely through sexual activity.

CDC says HPV can crop up years after exposure.

I personally would have a talk with BF before getting other STD tests. Best of luck!
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 8:41 PM on April 14, 2011

You didn't catch it from a toilet seat. Here's the CDC on HPV. "Most people with HPV do not develop symptoms or health problems from it. In 90% of cases, the body’s immune system clears HPV naturally within two years."

I would absolutely get a full std screen, if for peace of mind if nothing else.
posted by dejah420 at 8:41 PM on April 14, 2011

Some research also suggests that genital HPV can be transmitted through nonsexual routes, via fomites - inanimate objects such as towels or underwear - but more research must be conducted to examine these modes of transmission (Carson, 1997; Keller, et al., 1995; Stevens-Simon, et al., 2000).
posted by Rubbstone at 8:42 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

HPV is very, very common. And everyone here is correct: HPV can lie dormant for many years. Some advice:

First of all, please know that the stuff you're experiencing is actually very common. It's heartbreaking, but I've heard stories about couples that go through this – both test negative for HPV for a long time, and then suddenly one tests positive. There are a lot of ways this can happen. For one thing, he might have gotten HPV many years ago, and it laid dormant. For another thing, you might have gotten HPV years ago (chances are actually high that you've been exposed at some point) and it laid dormant for all these years. That dormancy happens a lot, so this isn't worth freaking out about. There isn't a smoking gun here, and it's just as likely you or he got it from somewhere else before you met him.

Second, something you should do: get the HPV vaccine, if you haven't already. Even many doctors don't know this (I'm lucky enough to know a med student, heh) but every adult should get the HPV vaccine, even if they've tested positive for HPV. Why? Well, because there are a few dozen different strains of HPV, and those you were tested for might not be the same as those that the vaccine protects against. It's just common sense, and the fact that it isn't recommended for people over a certain age is a huge oversight, in my opinion.

Remember, we're talking about a disease that is ridiculously common. In the United States, you're actually quite lucky if you aren't carrying HPV at some point in your life; it's estimated that only about 1 in 5 sexually active people avoid HPV entirely throughout their lives. It's so common, and the dormancy periods can be so long, that it's quite likely that you were exposed years ago and didn't know it.

And, yes, it is really true that HPV is no big deal. Six million people in the United States contract HPV every year. If you think it's a big deal, think about it this way: pick five of your friends that are sexually active. Of those five, four probably have HPV or will have it in the future. Many of them might not even know it, many of them might never even show symptoms. So it's not something you need to freak out about; just stay informed and aware, and you'll be just fine. Cervical cancer takes a long, long time to develop – ten years or more – so if you keep getting checked every year, you will be fine.
posted by koeselitz at 9:15 PM on April 14, 2011 [15 favorites]

I had an abnormal pap last year (after YEARS of normals) and the doc said "yeah this is from HPV." Seeing as how I was very much single I had the WTF? reaction. Came back for my 6 month check and I specifically asked for an HPV screen. Everything was all clear and came back negative. So now I don't have HPV.

Either my doc is an idiot or something weird happened with my labs. Or I have the virus that decided to wake up for that pap and then go back dormant. Who knows. As long as my paps stay normal I shouldn't have anything to worry about (at least with this particular issue). I willnote that I have a devil of a plantar wart on my foor that I was actively treating at the time ( and it was irritated) so I have no idea if that particular virus has any sort of connection. Ive never had warts before...anywhere. So, don't freakout yet! Ask if they did an HPV screen or are they just going off the abnormal cells. Relax until you do your next pap or you start having other problems. Stress isn't going to help. IANAD.
posted by MultiFaceted at 9:26 PM on April 14, 2011

I've been dating the same man for not quite three years. We have been monogamous for all about about two months of that, and I've had totally normal paps with one negative screen for HPV a year before the positive HPV screen I got last year (with a normal pap, actually). I was briefly freaked when they called me with that news and then realized that pretty much it wasn't going to change anything in my life at all, as I will continue to be responsible with my health.

I asked and the doc said the virus could have just been hanging out in my body for a bunch of years, or in my boyfriend's and then decided to pop up. Not a big deal, who knows where it came from, but it will probably go away on its own. In the meantime, I'll get yearly paps to make sure nothing bad is going on. The diagnosis has had zero effect on my (still monogamous) sex life or my overall health.

From the HPV and Cervical Cancer Prevention Resource Center page about HPV and relationships:

It can take weeks, months, or even years after exposure to HPV before symptoms develop or the virus is detected. This is why it is usually impossible to determine when or from whom HPV may have been contracted.

A recent diagnosis of HPV does not necessarily mean anyone has been unfaithful, even in a long-term relationship spanning years.

Go ahead and get tested for other STIs if it would make you feel better, but if you thought you could trust him before, a new HPV diagnosis is not a reason not to trust him now if there's nothing else that feels weird in your relationship.
posted by My Top Secret Sock Puppet Account at 10:44 PM on April 14, 2011

I pretty much experienced the same thing. Monogamous for four years, HPV/cancer scare happened in year 3. I am certain there was no infidelity. I got the vaccine and am very glad I did.
posted by Foam Pants at 11:20 PM on April 14, 2011

What the others said. HPV can lay dormant for years before it becomes active. A positive HPV result is rarely a sign of infidelity. All it means is that one of you, at some point, had sex with someone who carried the virus. And, as less than 20% of the population will avoid it entirely, that's not surprising.

As to why the vaccine isn't recommended by default for every female? According to my doctor, it wasn't tested in older, or sexually active, adults (iirc, the test pool was teens/young adults, with no statistically significant members over 25 years old).
posted by jlkr at 4:35 AM on April 15, 2011

We had HPV (maybe*) pop up a few years into our relationship, and then disappear six months later. Like everyone says, as long as you are ok otherwise, how does it change anything? Particularly because there is no HPV test for men, and because you can be exposed even using condoms, and because it can sit for so long dormant, there's just no way to assign blame or causality.

(* I say "maybe" because there were many things weird about that doctor, and we realized later that other untrue things had been said, and that quite possibly no actual HPV test was involved. And then the new doctor ran actual tests and everything was negative. So who knows? It was a good thing to talk through, though, because it made us confront that we loved each other and even if HPV or other diseases were to arise, that wasn't going to make any difference in our relationship.

But man, there are some crappy doctors out there, too.)
posted by Forktine at 5:51 AM on April 15, 2011

Had a similar experience, and seconding everything koeselitz said. I got my vaccine after the recommended age, though, and insurance would cover none of it. It was into three figures for me to get all the shots, but I feel better that I did. Be ready for sticker shock if you're in the same situation, and keep getting those pap smears, because there are many, many different strains.
posted by heatvision at 6:13 AM on April 15, 2011

False positives are rare with this test, but they do occur, so bear that in mind as well.
posted by jedicus at 7:18 AM on April 15, 2011

In addition to what the others above said about HPV apparently lying dormant for years, lab tests can get screwed up or accidentally swapped for someone else's. I know pap smears are no fun, but you could try getting a second test done with another doctor or Planned Parenthood. I've had labs mixed up twice in my life, so it can happen.

So, no, it doesn't mean your boyfriend is necessarily cheating on you.

I would bring up the test results and how freaked out you were when you found out, though, and talk about it with him.
posted by misha at 8:56 AM on April 15, 2011

I *think* that they only do a HPV test if you get an abnormal pap.
posted by radioamy at 11:19 AM on April 15, 2011

I *think* that they only do a HPV test if you get an abnormal pap.

Not true, as far as I know- Planned Parenthood did the test along with my pap smear (I have never had an abnormal pap, even though I have had a positive HPV test) because they said that at that office they were doing it as standard practice for women over 30 who hadn't had it done. They said they weren't doing it for women under 30 unless specifically asked because pretty much everyone had it in their 20s and most were likely to clear the virus on their own; what they were more concerned about were older women who weren't successfully clearing the virus.
posted by My Top Secret Sock Puppet Account at 12:14 PM on April 15, 2011

HPV can lie dormant for years. I used to have a job talking to people about this stuff and their first conclusion was that they'd been cheated on. There is no reason to assume that simply based on a positive HPV test. A lot of doctors, especially ones who've been doctors for a long time and don't keep up with the latest studies and whatnot, dont know as much about HPV as they probably should. It seems surprising that your doctor would not understand how it was possible to test positive for HPV after many negative tests and having the same partner. I would maybe find a new gyn personally, and talk to them about your concerns.
posted by elpea at 1:41 PM on April 15, 2011