HPV how to deal with it?

[miticax]

So I got a small lump on my tongue and a few small lump on face, for which the doctor concluded it's due to having HPV - without confirming with any testing...
So the doc gave me some imune system pills to get rid of the lump which of course is still there.
 

So my ask is how are you dealing with HPV?
In terms of partners do you let them know that you got it? 

[BootmanLA]

First - the reason  you haven't been tested is that there is no reliable test for HPV at this point.

Speaking as someone with a close friend who contracted HPV and is now dealing with oropharyngeal cancer, you need to be upfront with anyone with whom you have sex. The idea that people can just hide a disease that is easily sexually transmissible and not have any compunctions about it frankly shocks the hell out of me.

Yes, that likely will cut down on the number of people you have sex with, because some people won't want to take the risk. Those who were vaccinated as older children or young adults are least likely to have problems develop, but the reality is a majority of sexually active people have probably been exposed to HPV already, and most people remain asymptomatic. 

And yes, in one sense, it's preferential for people to manage their own risks (seeking the HPV vaccine before they've been exposed, just as people who engage in HIV-risky sex should get on PrEP). That doesn't mean people get off the hook for telling partners and explaining the risks. As someone who himself was exposed and who has developed at least one complication, I think you'd probably have wanted to know, from the guy who passed it on to you, right? Assuming he'd known.

So, golden rule time: Do unto others as you'd want them to do unto you. Let them make an informed choice.

[AriesBB7]

If you are 45 years old or under in the US, you can  get the gardasil vaccination which protects against the main cancer causing strains and I think the wart ones too.  That's what I did.  HPV is so common that nearly all sexually active gay men have one strain or another.  It isn't tested for in guys so most don't know they have it.

[Guest Somebody]

As previously stated, virtually any adult who is sexually active has been exposed to at least one strain of HPV, and probably several.  There are quite a few different strains -- I can't remember how many off hand -- and only a few are generally associated with cancers.  It should be noted that the HPV vaccine is only effective against a small sub-set of all the possible strains.  So even if the vaccine was 100% effective -- and no vaccine is -- and you are sexually active, you are extremely likely to contract some strain of HPV.  In short, the damn stuff is everywhere!  Also, don't forget that if you have ever had a wart of any kind, in any location, you have had a strain of HPV.  The reason that most adults carry it, but are asymptomatic, is that the human immune system is tuned to detect it, and combat it, in part because it is so common.  If one has a suppressed immune system -- for instance, if one is HIV+ and not on meds -- then HPV can "run wild", symptoms emerge, and complications can develop.

 

So  perhaps the first question to ask yourself is, "Do I have a healthy immune system?".  Generally, sexually transmitted HPV manifests itself in gay men as growths on the penis, or growths around the anus.  While I can see how giving a blow job to an infected person shedding virus could lead to a growth on one's tongue, the growths you describe on your face seem less likely.  Granted, if someone blew a load all over you face, it is certainly possible.  However, as one gets older -- you don't state your age -- people often develop "wart like" growths on their face -- I can't recall the clinical term for them at the moment -- and if the doctor you saw was your Primary Care Physician, they might not know the difference.  I hate to state a fact most folks don't want to hear, but there are a lot of doctors out there practicing medicine that are total, fucking idiots!

 

So I highly recommend that you see a Dermatologist who should be able to accurately assess your situation, and recommend the correct course of action.  By the way, I have never heard of the "immune system pills" that you say your doctor gave you.  Once one has an HPV growth that the immune system is clearly not combatting, there are three options to treat it.  The first is topical liquids or gels that chemically attack it.  There are gel versions one can do at home, but they require a prescription.  Then there is a much stronger liquid only available in a doctor's office -- that shit really works, but it has the tendency to burn like hell!  The second option is to have them frozen off.  This is not a viable option in all locations, however, for what should be obvious reasons.  And, given where you have indicated that your growths are located, I strongly suggest that you do NOT attempt self treatment with an Over-The-Counter wart freeze-off kit.  Let a professional Dermatologist do it, if necessary.  The third option is to have them surgically removed, which tends to be the last option explored unless the case is "severe" or "advanced" when first seen by a doctor.

 

To close, I will repeat my previous advice -- GO SEE A DERMOTOLOGIST!!!  As a disclaimer, I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but I have been treated for HPV in the past so I know a thing or two.

Edited December 27, 2020 by Somebody
Correction / Grammar

[Guest hungandmean]

If the pills didn't work there are other treatments. Topical, laser, etc. Get them removed and in the meantime be open with others about what's going on. 

Anyone whos vaccinated probably won't be too worried. You should also probably get vaccinated.

Not disclosing is shitty. HPV, while usually cosmetic, can be fatal. You really want to give someone colorectal cancer and kill them because you needed a hookup? 

 

[Blacoe]

The strains of HPV that cause warts are not the strains that cause cancers.

[Need2submit]

I know this will sound odd, but over the counter Tagamet (cimetidine) works really well for warts.  Here’s an article...

[think before following links] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/557832

[Pozguyinchi]

A bottom friend of mine has the wort kind and had to have them removed with surgery. 

[Cutedelicategay]

I will recommend checking if you qualify for Gardasil. I believe it works well in adults below 45yrs. I always tell people to get vaccinated available for STI. Unlike what people say about bug chasing it's not worth your life. Do the right thing and not fantasy. Sexual life is not fantasy. Earlier you accept it easier the fun is. 

[Close2MyBro]

They're usually easily removed by surgery. It's a short and simple procedure and they usually don't return once removed.

[Guest hungandmean]

On 12/30/2020 at 2:55 AM, Blacoe said:

The strains of HPV that cause warts are not the strains that cause cancers.

There are tons and tons of strains. Some cause warts, some don't. Some cause cancer, some don't. They are not mutually exclusive.

The Gardasil vaccination prevents the most dangerous strains - but it isn't perfect. You can still get warts even after vaccinated. They are just less likely to be cancerous and more likely to get unsightly. 

[fillmyholeftl]

If you have had HPV, you need to get monitored my a Colo-Rectal surgeon regularly.  

[FunCheerSlut]

Great topic; I appreciate hearing from other's who may have had a personal or close contact with an experience they can share.

HPV sounds intimidating because of all the various strains. It sounds like each strain may manifest itself differently, with the most obvious being warts. I wish there was other more documented findings of HPV and how it manifests and how it is transmitted, etc.

Do you know what a pap smear will produce in terms of testing for or diagnosing the presence of a type of HPV?

Are we also saying that like Herpes simplex these sores or warts have to be present to be tested and a diagnosis confirmed, and that asymptomatic people aren't being tested not for any other reason than they are not showing any physical wart or other manifestation?

Any additional insight into this would be very helpful, thanks!

[Guest]

On 12/27/2020 at 12:54 AM, BootmanLA said:

That doesn't mean people get off the hook for telling partners and explaining the risks. As someone who himself was exposed and who has developed at least one complication, I think you'd probably have wanted to know, from the guy who passed it on to you, right? Assuming he'd known.

So, golden rule time: Do unto others as you'd want them to do unto you. Let them make an informed choice.

This.

And that includes your wife, of whose existence I read in another post you made.

[viking8x6]

On 12/30/2020 at 6:05 AM, Need2submit said:

I know this will sound odd, but over the counter Tagamet (cimetidine) works really well for warts.  Here’s an article...

[think before following links] [think before following links] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/557832

Alas, that information now appears to be outdated:

Quote

Some evidence suggests cimetidine could be effective in the treatment of common warts, but more rigorous double-blind clinical trials found it to be no more effective than a placebo.

-From the Wikipedia article on cimetidine