Hi everyone....I've been reading all of the postings and am feeling not-so-alone anymore...glad this site is available and so informative.
I'm 28 and just got a call yesterday from my OB about my Pap results from my annual exam last week being "abnormal". I have had an annual exam every 12 months since I was 20 yrs. old (became sexually active), just to stay on top of my health. This is the first time I've ever had an abnormal Pap. I asked her what that meant exactly, but all she could say was that I most likely have HPV. My heart sank because I've always heard that HPV is a very serious STD and a person will always have it no matter what...and the chances of getting cervical cancer is great. The nurse scheduled me to come back in on June 15th for an HPV test....
I will admit that I started out being a "good girl", didn't have sex until I was almost 21 because I wanted to wait...wait for the "right" one. After losing my virginity to someone I dated and loved, but who (I later found out) didn't really care about me and then stopped talking to me about 3 weeks after wards, I felt dirty, used, and disgusted by my decision. When this happened, I think I also lost a lot of self-respect, which lead me to making other very poor future decisions about my sex life. Long story short, I used my college days to party a lot and had multiple sex partners...some I used protection, others, I did not. I'm sure many of you reading this are quick to make judgments about my choices or me as a person, but at least I'm honest. Even the best of people make stupid choices. I consider myself extremely fortunate to not have contracted any other diseases or STDs. Thank God I took the initiative to schedule and go in for my annual OB exams and STD/HIV testing.
I do have a few questions that I can't seem to find answers to...hopefully a doctor or nurse can help answer them:
1. If I end up having HPV, and it eventually goes "dormant", am I still contagious? I have not been in a relationship in several months and am not having sex. Can I infect a future partner if the virus becomes dormant?
2. Can HPV be caught via sitting on a toilet seat that someone with HPV regularly uses?
3. If HPV can be caught through oral sex, and therefore infect your mouth, can you catch the virus by kissing?
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Hi everyone....I've been reading all of the postings and am feeling not-so-alone anymore...glad this site is available and so informative.
I'm 28 and just got a call yesterday from my OB about my Pap results from my annual exam last week being "abnormal". I have had an annual exam every 12 months since I was 20 yrs. old (became sexually active), just to stay on top of my health. This is the first time I've ever had an abnormal Pap. I asked her what that meant exactly, but all she could say was that I most likely have HPV. My heart sank because I've always heard that HPV is a very serious STD and a person will always have it no matter what...and the chances of getting cervical cancer is great. The nurse scheduled me to come back in on June 15th for an HPV test....
I will admit that I started out being a "good girl", didn't have sex until I was almost 21 because I wanted to wait...wait for the "right" one. After losing my virginity to someone I dated and loved, but who (I later found out) didn't really care about me and then stopped talking to me about 3 weeks after wards, I felt dirty, used, and disgusted by my decision. When this happened, I think I also lost a lot of self-respect, which lead me to making other very poor future decisions about my sex life. Long story short, I used my college days to party a lot and had multiple sex partners...some I used protection, others, I did not. I'm sure many of you reading this are quick to make judgments about my choices or me as a person, but at least I'm honest. Even the best of people make stupid choices. I consider myself extremely fortunate to not have contracted any other diseases or STDs. Thank God I took the initiative to schedule and go in for my annual OB exams and STD/HIV testing.
I do have a few questions that I can't seem to find answers to...hopefully a doctor or nurse can help answer them:
1. If I end up having HPV, and it eventually goes "dormant", am I still contagious? I have not been in a relationship in several months and am not having sex. Can I infect a future partner if the virus becomes dormant?
2. Can HPV be caught via sitting on a toilet seat that someone with HPV regularly uses?
3. If HPV can be caught through oral sex, and therefore infect your mouth, can you catch the virus by kissing?
Thanks for your time and help!
June 8, 2010 - 7:12pmThis Comment
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