Can HPV go away on its own?

Ladies, I am so scared and ashamed.

I am 18 years old, recently deflowered by a clean man. I went to the clinic for a pelvis exam because I'm looking into an IUD and the doctor noticed bumps. She referred me to another clinic to get it checked out for HPV. I went home and looked it up and I am positive that I do indeed have genital warts. I must have contracted it from a guy I was with over the summer. I've been on the edge of tears all day, what should I do? I am going to the clinic soon. I broke up with my BF today but I will call him tomorrow and let him know. I am thankful that I don't have a high-risk strain but that doesn't make the warts go away. I am so ashamed! I will have to face my ex and tell him and I'm scared he won't respect me. I'm canceling my IUD installation because I'm facing it, I won't be having sex for a long time.

What on Earth should I do? HELP, please!

Your gf should also get copies of all her prior paps and HPV test results as well as the results of any prior biopsies which she has had for her own records. I would suggest she do this ASAP since the law is usually only 7 years for keeping medical records except for an infant so the longer she waits the less information she will have access to. There is also no test for males so you would just have to make a decision if you want to get it off label or not.

Your gf should also get copies of all her prior paps and HPV test results as well as the results of any prior biopsies which she has had for her own records. I would suggest she do this ASAP since the law is usually only 7 years for keeping medical records except for an infant so the longer she waits the less information she will have access to. There is also no test for males so you would just have to make a decision if you want to get it off label or not.

Your gf should also get copies of all her prior paps and HPV test results as well as the results of any prior biopsies which she has had for her own records. I would suggest she do this ASAP since the law is usually only 7 years for keeping medical records except for an infant so the longer she waits the less information she will have access to. There is also no test for males so you would just have to make a decision if you want to get it off label or not.

First off lets get the terminology straight for everyone. HPV has over 130 different STRAINS not strands. Some are low risk which cause genital warts and others are high risk which can cause abnormal cell changes (dysplasia) and potentially cancer.
Secondly, if you already have one of the strains covered by Gardasil which are 6 and 11 (low risk/genital wart type) and 16 and 18 (high risk potential for cancer) then the vaccine will do you no good. You must be vaccinated before you become infected not after. This does not mean that getting vaccinated still isn't a good idea if you do not have all of them.
You mention that you are unaware if you have it personally since you are male. Where do you think women get it from? Males! However there is no way to identify from whom anyone got it from because it usually shows no symptoms and can then go dormant showing up weeks, months and even years later.
If she is having a colposcopy then she has to have something going on because the guidelines do not call for a colposcopy unless the patient has an abnormal pap test and/or positive HPV test indicating a current infection. Do you know what has precipitated this colposcopy?
Unfortunately this virus has been totally mischaracterized and focused on as a woman's disease. In males, HPV can cause (besides the low risk that cause warts) penile cancer, anal cancer, and recently identified are the oral cancers which occur mainly in men and if the increase continues as it has these cases will surpass the cases of cervical cancer in women. This is typically from oral sex but the jury is out on whether or not it can be passed through saliva. Poor awareness and education campaigns have failed to educate men not only on the risks for them but also the risks which they expose their partners to as well and the need for males to take responsibility for their part in transmission and getting vaccinated. Since HPV DNA has been found in semen, this can cause an increase in what is called the "viral load" (amount of HPVDNA in the body) and result in a woman's immune system becoming overwhelmed and her developing an overt infection. The use of condoms is preferrable even with married couples to reduce the womans risks. Condoms do reduce the risks of transmission but not much. It can still be transferred and usually is by simple skin to skin contact. Even touching yourself and touching your partner can spread the virus.
By age 50, 80% of sexually active people will have had an HPV infection and chances are you already have it. Just because you don't have warts only means you don't have the low risk strains you can still have high risk strains and yes you could go on to infect any future partner you are involved with. You can get more information at my website: thehpvsupportnetwork.org

First off lets get the terminology straight for everyone. HPV has over 130 different STRAINS not strands. Some are low risk which cause genital warts and others are high risk which can cause abnormal cell changes (dysplasia) and potentially cancer.
Secondly, if you already have one of the strains covered by Gardasil which are 6 and 11 (low risk/genital wart type) and 16 and 18 (high risk potential for cancer) then the vaccine will do you no good. You must be vaccinated before you become infected not after. This does not mean that getting vaccinated still isn't a good idea if you do not have all of them.
You mention that you are unaware if you have it personally since you are male. Where do you think women get it from? Males! However there is no way to identify from whom anyone got it from because it usually shows no symptoms and can then go dormant showing up weeks, months and even years later.
If she is having a colposcopy then she has to have something going on because the guidelines do not call for a colposcopy unless the patient has an abnormal pap test and/or positive HPV test indicating a current infection. Do you know what has precipitated this colposcopy?
Unfortunately this virus has been totally mischaracterized and focused on as a woman's disease. In males, HPV can cause (besides the low risk that cause warts) penile cancer, anal cancer, and recently identified are the oral cancers which occur mainly in men and if the increase continues as it has these cases will surpass the cases of cervical cancer in women. This is typically from oral sex but the jury is out on whether or not it can be passed through saliva. Poor awareness and education campaigns have failed to educate men not only on the risks for them but also the risks which they expose their partners to as well and the need for males to take responsibility for their part in transmission and getting vaccinated. Since HPV DNA has been found in semen, this can cause an increase in what is called the "viral load" (amount of HPVDNA in the body) and result in a woman's immune system becoming overwhelmed and her developing an overt infection. The use of condoms is preferrable even with married couples to reduce the womans risks. Condoms do reduce the risks of transmission but not much. It can still be transferred and usually is by simple skin to skin contact. Even touching yourself and touching your partner can spread the virus.
By age 50, 80% of sexually active people will have had an HPV infection and chances are you already have it. Just because you don't have warts only means you don't have the low risk strains you can still have high risk strains and yes you could go on to infect any future partner you are involved with. You can get more information at my website: thehpvsupportnetwork.org

First off lets get the terminology straight for everyone. HPV has over 130 different STRAINS not strands. Some are low risk which cause genital warts and others are high risk which can cause abnormal cell changes (dysplasia) and potentially cancer.
Secondly, if you already have one of the strains covered by Gardasil which are 6 and 11 (low risk/genital wart type) and 16 and 18 (high risk potential for cancer) then the vaccine will do you no good. You must be vaccinated before you become infected not after. This does not mean that getting vaccinated still isn't a good idea if you do not have all of them.
You mention that you are unaware if you have it personally since you are male. Where do you think women get it from? Males! However there is no way to identify from whom anyone got it from because it usually shows no symptoms and can then go dormant showing up weeks, months and even years later.
If she is having a colposcopy then she has to have something going on because the guidelines do not call for a colposcopy unless the patient has an abnormal pap test and/or positive HPV test indicating a current infection. Do you know what has precipitated this colposcopy?
Unfortunately this virus has been totally mischaracterized and focused on as a woman's disease. In males, HPV can cause (besides the low risk that cause warts) penile cancer, anal cancer, and recently identified are the oral cancers which occur mainly in men and if the increase continues as it has these cases will surpass the cases of cervical cancer in women. This is typically from oral sex but the jury is out on whether or not it can be passed through saliva. Poor awareness and education campaigns have failed to educate men not only on the risks for them but also the risks which they expose their partners to as well and the need for males to take responsibility for their part in transmission and getting vaccinated. Since HPV DNA has been found in semen, this can cause an increase in what is called the "viral load" (amount of HPVDNA in the body) and result in a woman's immune system becoming overwhelmed and her developing an overt infection. The use of condoms is preferrable even with married couples to reduce the womans risks. Condoms do reduce the risks of transmission but not much. It can still be transferred and usually is by simple skin to skin contact. Even touching yourself and touching your partner can spread the virus.
By age 50, 80% of sexually active people will have had an HPV infection and chances are you already have it. Just because you don't have warts only means you don't have the low risk strains you can still have high risk strains and yes you could go on to infect any future partner you are involved with. You can get more information at my website: thehpvsupportnetwork.org

So having read this thread... I'm a 39 year old male and informed my girl friend who is 35 who I've had no sexual relations with yet has HPV. It's been dormant for her for 17 years. She's having a colposcopy done. I've had a couple relations, but no symptoms, so I'm unaware if I have it personally being a male. Never had a wart, and I'm assuming she hasn't either (nor do I ever want one).

Would it be advisable for her to identify the strand and be vaccinated off-label myself if the identified strand is covered by Gardasil at my age? If we do marry and begin sexual relations, am I bound to life with condoms or not?

Speculatively speaking as I understand from the reading, if a marriage ever ended, I would then be a carrier to any future relationship?

It is impossible to determine from whom you contracted HPV. Because the virus can remain dormant for months, years and even decades, this could be the symptoms from an infection you acquired six months ago or six years ago. It's interesting that when diagnosed everyone wants to know where to place the blame - a common response. However you could have gotten it from someone else and given it to your current BF. It's important to let other partners know so they can take steps to limit infecting anyone else and also to get the vaccine. You fail to mention your age but you didn't mention anything about your doctor recommending the vaccine. That is certainly something else you can do (if you are 26 and under). Don't let anyone tell you that you cannot receive the vaccine because you are HPV positive, this is not true. I hope your doctor informed you that HPV not only affects the cervix, but the vagina, vulva, perianal/anal canal and mouth/throat. Oral sex can transmit the virus which recent research has shown is increasing rapidly among young males and causing cancer. You should also check the vaginal opening, vulva and perianal areas so you would be aware if anything changed and you devlopd a lesion there. A negative pap does not mean you are free of the virus. Once acquired it remains in your body for life so you must be vigilant and get your recommended follow-ups. Your BF should also consider getting the vaccine if he is under age 26 also.
Hopefully the more people hear and learn about HPV the less embarassing it will become. It may not seem like it now but years back just saying the word breast cancer was also embarassing and look how things have changed.

Hello all!
I also was just told today that I was positive for HPV. I had been expecting the worse for a while so I was very calm when I was told the news. Though I'm still very worried and paranoid, it makes me feel better to know that I'm not alone. I too was told it should "go away" in a year or two because I have a very low grade. My doctor told me the only thing I can do is keep my stress level down so I'm making sure I get enough sleep, not overwhelming myself, maintaining a good healthy diet, etc.

I do need advice on how to tell whom I got it from. We were never dating but we're extremely off and on for the past two years. We haven't talked so much in the past month. I'm not sure if I can muster up talking to him again because I am a bit upset with him. I'm scared to find out something like he knew all along and never told me. This is just so embarrassing to bring up.