Did my partner cheat if I now have HPV

[naggy095]

I recently had a cervical biopsy which confirmed hpv associated changes. I had smear tests in 2017 and most recently March 2022, both of those tests showed no changes and all normal, so the virus has come up at some point in the past 10 months.

I understand it can lie dormant for many years, but I’ve been with my partner for almost 12 years and have never cheated on him. We’ve been together since we were teenagers and he said he was a virgin before we got together. I had 2 other sexual encounters before my partner and I got together.

Is it likely my partner has cheated and that’s how I have hpv now? In the past couple of years he’s been working a lot of overtime and has become obsessed with the gym and his appearance recently. I honestly would never imagine he’d be unfaithful

@WetBandits thanks for clarifying.

As you're in sexual health, would you know what are the chances of me catching HPV after I had the HPV vaccine around 15 years ago before I became sexually active?

Is HPV the cold sore virus or is that something different? Only I had it (the one from cold sores) years ago and the doctor went to great lengths to reassure me that it doesnt necessarily equal cheating (I was upset in her surgery) - she said it can be passed orally and can also lie dormant in your system for years - in my case my pregnancy seemed to trigger it and I was very rundown. I just remember being very confused as I assumed it was an STI and dh didn’t have any symptoms and also never went anywhere that would give him opportunity to cheat!

It was horrible at the time but I’ve never had another flare up touch wood.

Current evidence says over 95% effective but that protection lasts around 10 years although could be longer; the research is still developing as the vaccine is still fairly new in the grand scheme of things, and the girls that were vaccinated at school (I assume you’re a similar age to me as I had mine around 15 years ago) are now women who are on their second or third smear. In theory, the protection you had from the vaccine might have already worn off.

It’s not my specialist area as I’m still fairly new to smears (we’ve only been offering them in my service for a few months) but that’s my understanding of how the vaccine works.

Coldsore virus is HSV (herpes simplex virus) and that’s correct; the way I tend to explain it to my patients is that it can hide for years and years and crop up when your immune system is busy doing something else - in your case, growing a whole new person!

HPV is a Human Papilloma Virus and causes warts which are proliferations of cells. There are several types that prefer different places (eg veruccas on soles of feet).

Cold sores are the Herpes simplex virus and belongs the herpes group of viruses which includes the genital sort and also chicken pox. You can get cold sores on your privates, spread the usual way. Hurty though.

@WetBandits thank you, so based off of what you said and me having had the vaccine, it's most likely I caught it from my partner? Obviously I'm not saying it definitely has come from him, but it seems the most likely explanation at the moment 😞

From what I understand; They don’t ‘test’ for HPV with every smear, but over time the HPV can cause cell abnormalities.

So no, doesn’t mean he’s cheated.

Smears changed a couple of years ago; every sample is now tested for HPV as the first step in the testing process. If HPV is negative, the sample is discarded and the test is repeated in 3 years. If positive, the actual cells are looked at.

I was at a work event about cervical cancer last week and the Macmillan nurse who spoke at the event specifically said that HPV does not mean your partner has been playing away! It's a virus, but it's not considered a sexually transmitted disease according to this nurse - so not, it's not a reason to suspect your partner.

It’s impossible to know for sure ☹️ I know that doesn’t help and I absolutely understand why you’re asking so I’m sorry I don’t have any better answers for you

However, if you had a HPV negative smear 10 months ago and you’ve now had a biopsy because your cervix looked concerning to the colposcopist, I’m wondering if the sample you had a year ago just didn’t pick up the HPV as it normally takes several years for the cells to change enough that visible changes could be seen.

I had a HPV growth removed from my throat last year. I don't blame my husband, I blame my university boyfriend 25 years ago!

Seriously?
Perhaps he’s just decided to focus on his career and better himself - if a woman had posted she’d made these changes everyone would be cheering her on, but as it’s a man he must be cheating. 😅

If this is really a thing, why are virgins not advised to have smear tests. The NHS position is that they can have them if they want to, because not all cervical cancer is caused by HPV, but they are not particularly encouraged to. That's also partly because it would be uncomfortable I suppose.
Now that the cells aren't even looked at unless the sample is HPV positive (if I've understood that correctly) why would a virgin get tested?

I was told when I had abnormal cells removed it takes years for the cells to change so your likely caught it many years ago. It's not a quick turn around op

Can you cite an NHS source or other reliable source that says the NHS ‘doesn’t particularly encourage’ virgins to have smears?

Also, the strains of HPV mentioned in that post are not cancer-linked; they only cause warts, which are not harmful.

"Can you cite an NHS source or other reliable source that says the NHS ‘doesn’t particularly encourage’ virgins to have smears?"

I had a pdf at one time. I'll see if I can find it again.
Do you actually dispute what I wrote?

"Also, the strains of HPV mentioned in that post are not cancer-linked; they only cause warts, which are not harmful."

And not relevant to smear tests then?

"Can you cite an NHS source or other reliable source that says the NHS ‘doesn’t particularly encourage’ virgins to have smears?"

I don't normally 'cite sources' on MN as I'm not writing an essay and your tone was quite dismissive. However, I actually found it quite easily.

"If you've never had any kind of sexual contact with a man or woman, you may decide not to go for cervical screening when you are invited. But you can still have a test if you want one."

www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening/why-its-important/

You’ve interpreted that to mean “we don’t care either way”; we can’t say there’s no risk but it is low risk. Any screening is patient choice, anyway.

"You’ve interpreted that to mean “we don’t care either way”; we can’t say there’s no risk but it is low risk."

Low risk for cervical cancer because it can be caused by things other than HPV you mean? And if now the cells are only looked at after a positive HPV test there'd be no point at all would there.
I said the NHS 'doesn't particularly encourage...' and my quote shows that.

As for any screening being patient choice, you need to read the recent thread where a doctor threatened to refuse treatment if a woman didn't have a smear test (the treatment and the smear test were not directly related). Other women on that thread reported they'd been treated that way as well.