How common is it for HPV infection to persist for years? Any GUM professionals in the house?

[Moralitym1n1]

May nit be an easy answer but his common is this? I'd presumed they cleared within a couple of years or so in the vast majority of people.

*not

*how

The usual advice is that in many people they do, but not always. I work in sexual health (but not specifically with HPV), though I’ve not seen any research to show this is the case (that’s not to say it isn’t but it’s not my specialty). But in practice, as you can’t treat HPV and the vast majority of the population has it at some point in their lives, the reality is that it likely just circulates around a lot, including between partners. For example, if you were infected 5 years ago, it may have cleared within 2-3 years but if you then gave it to your partner 4 years ago, then they had it for 2 years before it cleared, they would have likely passed it back to you in that time and then you to them again and so on. This would be the case even if you used condoms as condoms don’t prevent HPV.

@mindutopia

Thanks for your response.

So you could be reinfected with a strain you'd already 'cleared' as such?

I suppose i presumed that if your body dealt with it once, you had immunity/antibodies against it (or that strain anyway).

Could a couple indefinitely reinfect each other? The female has apparently had a positive HPV (during a smear) and they e been married for over 20 years and in s monogamous relationship for several years before that.

I think it due to some NHS trusts now testing for HPV first and then abnormal cells if hobbies positive.

• if HPV is positive

I'm not being coy btw, it's not me - it's a female relative and I'm surprised/concerned that this has cropped up in a 25 yr or so supposedly monogamous relationship (100% from her side I know).

The NHS website is pretty clear that you can have HPV even if you have had only one sexual partner for many years, or even if you've had no sexual activity. And that it does not mean your partner has been unfaithful:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening/your-results/

I don't think you're necessarily re-infecting yourself. My understanding is that it's like the Herpes virus, in that it can remain dormant in your system pretty much forever, with occasional outbreaks.

I always thought once infected you were infected for life and that it can lie dormant for years and then flare up and die off again to lie dormant. Similar to the cold sore virus. I am completely open to correction though as I am not a medical professional.

In fact, I've been monogamous for the last 6.5 years, and I'm as sure as I can be that my husband has also been monogamous, but my recent smear just showed HPV (though no cell changes). The GP called me about my results and reassured me that it absolutely does not mean my partner has been unfaithful. Obviously he may have been but the HPV isn't evidence of this.

Yes, I would say it’s completely possible that she’s had it for 25+ years and she and her partner have passed it back and forth between them. Has she had any signs of it in the past? Experienced genital warts (she may or may not have noticed even if she did have them)? They can be quite small if you only have 1 or 2 and they do go away if your immune system deals with them effectively. Or any previous abnormal smear? These would be an indication she could have had it at least since them. But really if she isn’t having any symptoms, yes, it’s totally possible it’s just been asymptomatic forever.

I’m assuming you’re asking because she is worried it’s a sign her partner cheated. Unfortunately, not possible to tell really just based on that. I know that’s not very reassuring though!

I’m not a health professional but I recently had a borderline smear result with HPV whist I was in a relationship albeit not as long as 25 years. I was told nearly every man and woman (90 percent ) get some strain of HPV in their life times and their body clears it without even knowing they have it And I mean cleared not dormant

However in a small number of ppl they can’t clear it or it remains dormant and doesn’t do any harm but these are usually ppl who smoke or problems with immune system etc they specifically told me to give up smoking if I did.

I was told it is like the common cold of the vagina lol and the only way women know they have it is if it shows up on a smear test and they have only started testing that on smears in the last few years.

I was told conflicting evidence on reinfecting as I was told once you’ve had one strain your usually immune to getting that strain again however I’ve also heard that the man can reinfect the woman if he hasn’t cleared the strain they both have yet and vice Versa.

It doesn’t meant anyone has been unfaithful as your friend could be someone who it lies dormant in or someone who’s had it for years and not been able to clear it but it’s done no harm it only goes on to cause serious harm in a very small number of women.

Also just to add warts are not the strain that cause abnormal smears and if you have an abnormal smear with high risk hpv it is completely unrelated to the warts virus as this is a low risk strain and not tested for during smears.

I know all of this as I was ferried when I got my results and called jo’s trust and cancer research help line several times

Something like 95% clear HPV, most of those in 2 years. Which means 5% have it permanently. So you could have it a long time into a monogamous relationship. It is becoming more apparent with primary HPV testing (HPV as first test before cytology - cell testing)

Please excuse my ignorance but how could hpv pass through a condon?

Please excuse my ignorance but how could hpv pass through a condon?

I think it's because HPV infects through skin to skin contact it testicles, thighs so it's possible even with a condom.

Well that's reassuring.

I don't think she's had warts - but isn't the strain that causes warts different from the cervical cancer risk strain?

Or do people commonly get infectef with multiple strains at the same time?

She was a smoker but gave up quite a while ago.

I didn't realise hpv could lie dormant like hsv

@moralitym1n1 yes warts is a different strain and isn’t tested for via the smear test

It only lies dormant in a small percentage of ppl like PP said it is usually cleared by 95 percent of people.

I've had this. Been with my husband for 10 years, but 18mths ago tested postitive for HPV. Smear 6 months ago still returned a positive result.

I know I've been faithful, and I'm 99% sure he has been too.

I've never been tested for HPV until the 18mth ago test, so unsure if it's a long term thing.

I don't feel great about it, and since we don't have the best of marriages, it does raise a little doubt now and again.