Q:

I recently had a test for high risk HPV that came back positive. I have been reading about the virus and understand that there is no way for a man to get tested for the virus. My boyfriend is the only person that I have been sexually active with, and prior to being with him he had had his last sexual encounter about two years ago. Is it possible that he could have carried the virus for that long and never shown symptoms? Is there another possible way that I could have gotten the virus? Also, I understand that sometimes the virus can go away on its own although I'm still planning to have a colposcopy to see further options. So if my body gets rid of the virus, is there a way to know that my boyfriend is OK or will there always be the risk that I can get infected again?

A:

You are asking the truly difficult questions about HPV. Not everything is understood about how long HPV can remain on the skin and be infectious, but your boyfriend is a typical example of someone who has not had symptoms since his exposure two years ago, but remains contagious. The other issue is many people define "sexual activity" differently and you could have been infected with another partner if you had any kind of genital contact, even just external, with another person.

There is no way to know 100% when you and your boyfriend are virus free. You can have HPV testing of your cervix again in the future, but that does not necessarily indicate virus free status lower in the vagina, or on the vulva.

Condoms are the best, but not always effective way, to decrease risk of HPV spread. We do know that most HPV infections resolve spontaneously within several years, but your risk of reinfection does remain high during that time. That is why the new HPV vaccine, Gardisil, is considered our main weapon against high risk HPV infection, and you should discuss it with your provider.