Expert: Kristen Brannock, MPH - 5/15/2007

Question
hi I'm 17 going to be 18 next month...i went for a pap smear(my first one)about 3 weeks ago and my doctor told my mom that i have HPV.. im scared for my life because i don't know how long i have had it for and whom i have received it from.. my boyfriend that im with we just got back together and we were dating for about a  year and a half before we got back.. but im scared if i cant have kids or worse if i have cancer. i am showing signs of the warts(this is embarrassing telling U this I'm sorry)and it does itch. but if i found out i had it,is there a way my boyfriend can get tested too? because he wants too and i don't know what a male has to go thru to get tested.. he has no signs showing tho.. i just cant believe i let myself get like this im scared for my life and i don't know if i can die from it.. is there any way U can tell which stage ur in?.. because i don't go for another check up about this till next month and i don't know how long its been there and how far it has gotten.. what would be the worse thing that can happen.. does it ever go away?can i still pass it on to him in anyway.. please let me know thank you

     -Jessica

Answer
HPV is not fatal- you won't die from it. In fact, most people are infected with one strain or another. I am not a doctor so I can only give you general information. I know that there are many different strains of HPV, some of which cause genital warts and some of which cause cervical cancer. Not all strains cause cancer so don't worry about it prematurely.

Your doctor should have talked to you about this and explained it all to you. It is a virus, so it cannot be cured- you will always have it. However, the warts can be removed. When you see your doctor the next time, ask these questions- your doctor can give you more information than I can.

HPV is sexually transmitted so your boyfriend (if he hasnt already gotten it) can get it from you. All he needs to do is call his doctor or visit a health department and explain the situation and ask to be tested for HPV specifically.

You can also look up HPV on the Internet (try webmd.com) for more information.