HPV Support Group
Human papillomavirus is a diverse group of DNA-based viruses that infect the skin and mucous membranes of humans. More than 100 different human papillomavirus (HPV) types have been characterized. Some HPV types cause benign skin warts, or papillomas, for which the virus family is named. HPVs associated with the development of such "common warts" are transmitted...
Hi everyone. I got the Gardasil vaccine when I was 12 years old (way before I was ever sexually active). I am now 26 (almost 27) years old and just had my first outbreak of GW. I am confused as to how this is even happening. It is (as of now) a rather small outbreak--one external and maybe one internal. I have no pain, but just some itching in the area. Ironically, I thought this was a simple yeast infection and yeast infection medicine even made the itching subside. This has been such an overwhelming experience. I am very recently married and have an unbelievably supportive husband who has never shown any symptoms. We of course have had sex without condoms in our now 3+ year relationship. I have no idea when I got exposed to HPV. I am going to the gynecologist again this morning. I have so many unanswered questions. How does sex with my husband work now? Am I wrong in assuming if I have it he definitely has it? Is oral sex forever out of the picture? Can you really fight off HPV if it was latent and then suddenly became active? What about having kids--is that still a normal process?
They are no words to describe how I am mentally feeling. I feel alone, despite having a loving and caring husband and parents who support me and accept me. I feel worried about the future. I feel less than. I feel dirty and ashamed. I feel like this emotional toll is almost too much to bear. I feel unattractive and fear that I can never be intimate again. How do you manage all these negative feelings?
Any help and guidance on this will be very much appreciated, as I dont know anyone who openly has experienced this issue.
Dr's seem to be no help on information or support. So little information out there on HPV... let alone resourceful solutions <|3
Also, how do you know your husband didnt give it to you? Just because he didnt have any symptoms doesnt mean he didnt have the virus. and he passed it on to you. Unless your husband never had sexual contact with anyone prior to you, it is possible he had the virus with no symptoms and he gave it to you. Just because you had visible symptoms first doesnt mean you were the origin of the virus. Does it really matter who gave it to whom? You both probably have it now and you're a married couple so you should be a supportive team to help each other through this.
I have high risk HPV and I have to have a LEEP in a few weeks because a colposcopy showed CIN 2 which is moderately abnormal cells on my cervix that could become cancer if left there. There is a risk with LEEP that can complicate pregnancy because the cervix can be weaker after the LEEP procedure but you have genital warts and you arent having a LEEP so I dont think your baby would be at risk but ask your ob/gyn for information on pregnancy and genital warts.
I have LOTS of anger and resentment towards the guy that gave me HPV (it's a long story) I am working on that because I need to reduce my stress. I read a book that said if your house were on fire, would you stand there in the flaming house and argue with the guy that started the fire or would you use your energy to safely get out of the burning house? It makes no sense to waste our energy on anything that doesnt ultimately help us.
All any of us can do is try to re-direct our energy and focus onto to managing our symptoms and focusing on what we CAN do to help ourselves. It serves no purpose, in fact it is damaging, to focus on things that wont help our immune systems. Stress weakens your immune system so you have to try really hard to stay as calm as you can and focus on productive things that wil help you.
When I get a bunch of anxious thoughts in my mind, I put on headphones and play music to redirect the thoughts in my mind to something other than HPV. There are things in life that just cant be changed, no matter how much we want them to change, some things are simply unchangeable so dont waste your energy trying to change the unchangeable. Redirect your attention to something useful and productive.