Clean Again

[tenshikurai9]

I had a pap smear that seemed to indicate HPV.  The first colposcopy results showed low-grade HPV.  This was confusing because it's only known to be spread through PIV and I'm a technical virgin.  So at the six-mont mark, I had a second one.  At least this time the results were normal.  So glad now. 

Comments

[lolichan.livejournal.com]

That's weird, you can't get HPV from anything other than actual intercourse. It must've been a mistake? That is really weird. Did you get the vaccine?

[dark-phoenix54.livejournal.com]

Probably a lab false positive. It happens with all tests sometimes, but that doesn't make it any easier when the mistake is on *your* test!

[tenshikurai9.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[gravitrue.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty dubious about this assertion, and plenty of other people seem to be too, though I have not taken the time to do a medical literature check. Here are some web hits about HPV and lesbians, including a claim of infection via a sex toy.

http://www.womenshealthlondon.org.uk/leaflets/hpvwarts/hpvwarts.html
http://lesbianlife.about.com/od/lesbiansex/f/HPV.htm
http://cervicalcancer.about.com/od/riskfactorsandprevention/a/lesbians.htm

There are over 100 kinds of HPV. They specialize in different skin areas; hands, feet, crotches. Some cause warts, some cause cancer. I very much doubt that even all of the genital kinds have been extensively studied as to what they can survive. Lots of web sites seem to say non-genital transmission is possible but unlikely. Many websites say that usually the immune system clears the virus in about six months, so it is entirely possible that tenshikurai9 had and cleared the virus. Or it could be a false positive.

[lolichan.livejournal.com]

Well, the lesbian situation is definitely different; I meant for a man to give the infection to a woman, intercourse needs to be had, since the virus lives at the tip of a man's penis. At least that's what I've been told by a doctor/nurse/medical professional. I didn't even think of the lesbian example, but yes I can see how that would happen.

I'm really glad I got the vaccine though, I wish it wasn't so expensive so everyone could get it

[(Anonymous)]

While in this case the professional was probably correct, I have seen professionals make pretty basic errors about HPV, and there's a lot we don't know about it yet. (And don't get me started on how little most shrinks know about psych meds and brain function). It seems to me that there is probably a very slight chance some infected skin cells could find their way from a penis tip to vaginal tissue without direct PIV contact.