AboutMark Behar Expertise Almost any question or concern about sexually transmitted infections, abnormal Pap smears, anal cytology (anal "Pap smears"), gay men's health issues.
There is no such thing as “d/d free” or “clean” (free of infection), so why do so many of us deceive ourselves into thinking that some people are indeed totally free from a potentially infectious disease, like HIV, herpes, hepatitis, syphilis, chlamydia, warts, gonorrhea, etc., just because they say so? Clinical laboratory tests are not perfect, and having a “negative” or “nonreactive” test does not mean that a person is free from infection. Perhaps at the moment the test was taken, the person was uninfected; or, perhaps, the test wasn’t sensitive enough to detect presence of the infection. There is really no way that anyone can determine that they are truly “disease free,” and there are over a hundred of infectious conditions that can be spread without your knowing anything.
Rather than trying to “prescreen” or “serosort” a potential sex-mate with deceptive questions that are impossible to know by today’s technologies, a wiser option may be to consider everyone infected with something, and either use appropriate protective measures (“safer sex”), or accept the responsibility and conseqences of possibly “catching” something from someone who’s hotter than expected (pun intended!).
There is much research that supports the contention that an HIV positive person reliably taking HIV medications, and having an undetectable viral load, presents a lower risk for transmission of HIV than people who may think or say they are HIV negative, but are not. Food for thought!
Experience Family Practice PA since 1981;
Volunteer Clinician for Brady East STD (BESTD) Clinic, Milwaukee, since 1977; answer STD questions submitted to their web site.
Professionally lectured at national and regional Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner conferences, and at national gay & lesbian health conferences on topics including HIV/AIDS, herpes, hepatitis, STDs, human papilloma virus (the cause of venereal warts), abnormal Pap smears, gay and lesbian health issues, among others.
Organizations Co-Founder, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Gay Physician Assistant Caucus of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Inc.;
Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants;
American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP); Board of Directors, National Association of Black and White Men Together: A Gay, Multiracial Organization for All People (NABWMT)
Publications Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (JAPA)
Education/Credentials Physician Assistant Certified, since 1982;
Masters in Physician Assistant Studies;
Colposcopy Recognition Award, American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP);
Awards and Honors Colposcopy Recognition Award (CRA), from the American Association of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology;
Distinguished Fellow, American Academy of Physician Assistants;
Fellow, Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants
Past/Present Clients Brady East STD Clinic, Milwaukee, WI
Question Hello Doctor, i read your answer on venereal warts from 5-4-07, concerning catching this virus from a swimming pool, you answered NO, you want on to say about maybe you could become infected from underwear or a swim suit if someone was shedding the virus at that time and you came in direct contact skin to skin with these items, MY QUESTION lets say i or someone else had venereal warts, went to a Y M C A or a place to work out, took a shower, then someone else went and took a shower after the infected person and stood on the same wet floor, could they become infected in this manor, by just standing on a wet public shower floor after an infected person used it? Thank you, Bill
Answer Hi Bill,
Wow, I am impressed that you dug out something from over 2 years ago!!
The virus that causes warts is human papilloma virus (HPV), and requires direct contact with broken skin and entry into living cells. Venereal warts comprise some but not all of the 100+ varieties of wart, and these viruses, even if in abundant quantities on the shower floor, prefer the anogenital area, not the feet. (Of course, that is how someone may get foot warts-- from being in contact with the HPV associated with foot (pedal) warts, from an environmental surface such as a shower floor.) In order for the virus to infect someone, it must infect the cells of the anogenital skin. This usually requires rubbing or friction. So, if you are sitting naked on the edge of a hottub ledge, or shower floor, and have a fresh cut or scratch, and come in contact with the relevant strains of HPV, then you can get infected in this fashion. Unlikely, but possible.
