I just found out that I have H.P.V and I was wondering if my son has it and how he can be tested for it? He's only 5 months old. Also how can my boyfriend get tested to see if he has it?

HI,

My question is simple. Can a serum blood test distinguish between a HPV virus and an HSV 2 virus?
I know that for herpes you can have the specific type, but with a regular HSV 2 test it only shows the antibodies. I'm really not sure about the HPV, I know that it is a virus, so can it be detected when they take blood for the HSV 2?

Hi,

No, the blood test cannot distinguish between the Herpes and the Human Papilloma Virus The Herpes test is a blood test whereas the HPV test is a cerical swab done in women. The is no test available for man for HPV.
The HPV test is available only in women and looks for evidence of infection by high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a group of about 100 related viruses that cause skin warts and genital warts (also called condylomata). Common in young men and women, most HPV infections are short-lived and relatively benign. A few types of HPV (such as HPV-16, HPV-18, HPV-31, and HPV-45), however, are considered high-risk. They do not usually cause visible warts, but they are persistent and have been linked to cervical, penile, and other forms of genital cancer.

Be well,
Dr. Gian

Hello, I just want to make sure you don't list my email address or name when you list this on the website...just for confidentiality. I am a male and I had sex with a woman about 4 months ago. We did not use protection. About 2 months passed and I noticed a very small pump right below the head of my penis(the back side) which is the side that lays against the testicles. Anyway, the bump is soft and is barely noticable. It is basically skin color. Basically, looks like a small zit that would be on my face without the reddness and the hardness. There is no burning when I urinate but the tip of my penis will sting a little bit sometimes but not all the time. Very slight itching sometimes. Everything else is normal. I am just worried about this and I have not been with anyone else since her. It has been a little over 2 months since the small bump emerged and it hasn't changed at all and nothing else has developed. I have really done my homework but none of the descriptions I have read or seen match my symptoms really. I have concluded it is either herpes 2, Chlamydia, or HPV..or if any. I would like your opinion on this and maybe you could tell me what I should do. Thank you so much and all your answers to everybody on the website are very helpful and educational.

Hi,

Your description is highly suggestive of a small Genital Wart which is an infection due to a virus called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). In man this is not a serious problem if wasn’t for the fact that man spreads it around. In women HPV is all another story. We classify the family of HPV’s in two main classes called:" high risk and low risk". Of what? Of causing chronic inflammation in women cervices which lead to the appearance of abnormal cells when they get tested with a PAP smear. For women there is a very useful and accurate test that can be performed easily. In man we do not have a test unless you want to have a small biopsy done of the tissue. Anyway you should visit your Doctor and get tested at least for Herpes and HIV if you are not sure about your partner. And... if this is what it is, let your future partners know about the situation.

Best wishes.

I was wondering if you could possibly send me some information on the sexually transmitted disease; HPV. My ex-girlfriend recently found out that she has the disease and it is cancerous, but she had surgery a couple of weeks ago for it. We had sex about a month ago (stupidly, without a condom), and she took the test before we had sex, but found out her results after. I m going to get checked, but I was wondering what kind of possibility I have of this disease spreading to me and/or creating cancer. I haven t shown any signs of symptoms yet, but I would like to find out anything about this disease as soon as possible. I was also wondering where I could go locally to get tested. I live in WI.
Thank you so much for your time and effort.
>Dan

Hi Dan,

Sorry to hear about your girlfriend. Human Papilloma Virus is the name of a group of viruses that includes more than 100 different strains or types. More than 30 of these viruses are sexually transmitted, and they can infect the genital area of men and women including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina), or anus, and the linings of the vagina, cervix, or rectum. Most people who become infected with HPV will not have any symptoms and will clear the infection on their own.
A small group of these viruses are called “high-risk” types, and may cause abnormal Pap tests. They may also lead to cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis. Others are called “low-risk” types, and they may cause mild Pap test abnormalities or genital warts. Genital warts are single or multiple growths or bumps that appear in the genital area, and sometimes are cauliflower shaped.
Approximately 20 million people are currently infected with HPV. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection. About 6.2 million Americans get a new genital HPV infection each year. Most women are diagnosed with HPV on the basis of abnormal Pap tests. A Pap test is not a tests for HPV but may make evident the effect of the chronic presence of HPV and its related chronic inflammation and precancerous changes in the cells of the cervix. Only in women there is a specific test available which detects the DNA of the Papilloma virus. This test is used in women when they show mild Pap test abnormalities, or in women >30 years of age at the time of Pap testing. The HPV DNA testing can distinguish between the low and the high risk group of viruses and helps in deciding if further tests or treatment are necessary.
Unfortunately no HPV tests are available for men. You need to rely on visual inspection which I encourage you to do 3-4 times a year. If warts should appear several modalities of treatment are available although they have primarily only a cosmetic value in man. There is no “cure” for HPV infection, although it is not uncommon to see the infection going away on its own.

Thanks for sharing your concern.

Dr. Gian

Dear Dr. Gian,

I am a 37y old married man, married for last 15 years. About 7 years ago, I had protected and unprotected sex with a women during the 5-6 months time period and in the middle of that time itching started around and top of the my penis and was pain in the middle of my penis when pressing to my penis or taking the shower (when water falls on, it hurts me). Sometimes I feel pain during the sex. I have visited different Doctors and they did not find anything wrong in my blood and my HIV test is negative and they gave me PENICILLIN tablets Several times for 7 to 10 days (once they gave me Penicillin shot ) and it reduce my pain almost to 100% but pain is not going away permanently and comes back. My sex partner told me that she has popsmear or pap smear problem and her body was producing more cells than she needs and her Doctor advised her not to do unprotected sex with new partner (but I was too late) and she was OK after taking some medicine but she did not tells me what medicine. My wife is okay.
Questions for you:-
1. Did I get some type of STD or my pens is hurted/scratched with the dry condom from the top and it is just injury?
2. If I am effected with STD, why it is not passing to my wife?
3. I made mistake and suffered too much and want to know, how this pain and itching will go away forever?
What type of this disease is and what medicine you will suggest me?
My English is not good and I hope you will excuse my writing and Grammar mistakes.
Sincere you,

Hi,

from your description it seems to me that your concerns are:
1) your other partner has an abnormal PAP test
2) you have a concern about a possible sexually transmitted infection from the other partner and
3) if you might have infected your wife
The symptoms you described are not specific for a sexually transmitted condition and I do not understand the several oral and intramuscular treatments with penicillin that you received.

It is possible that you partner might have an HPV infection given the history of abnormal PAP test, so be aware of that possibility and do frequent self examinations of your genitals. It is also a good idea to have your wife undergo a PAP and Papilloma check.

In good health,
Dr. Gian