Q:

Hi Doctor,

One side of the back of my throat has been sore for the last week--I had my sister look at it this evening and she said that there is a sore (looks like a canker sore) located in the back of my throat.  I have gotten tons of canker sores before, but never in the back of my throat.

Here is my major concern.  I have had one sexual partner in the past 2 years and about a year and a half ago, my boyfriend told me that he had been exposed to HPV and had a genital wart.  I went into the health center immediately and I learned more about it...but they couldn't test me for HPV unless I had any signs of it myself.  I have not had the preventative shots yet.

Could this be a strand of HPV showing up in my throat? I am very worried.

 

A:

Any persisting sore in the mouth or throat should be evaluated in clinic but what you are describing is far more likely to be a routine canker sore (aphthous ulcer) that will self resolve in the next week, rather than HPV.  Canker sores do occur in the back of the throat and tonsillar area and resolve without any treatment other than medication for pain relief.

HPV related throat lesions are generally painless and persist.  Yes, there is an increased incidence of throat cancers due to oral sex exposures to the HPV virus.  If your sore is not resolving completely in another week, let us take a look.

~The Doc