I suspect I may have HPV in the mouth - I have a small bump on the palate that keeps coming and going over the last year; I can't see it but can feel with my tongue.
If it is HPV, am I at risk of passing it on to my partner through kissing, if our mouths are partly open? I assume not, because there would be too little friction - is that right?
If I give my partner cunnilingus, am I putting her at risk? I've heard that it is only the 'mouth' or receiving partner that is at risk. Is that correct?
Hi, there!
Thank you for your post and I will try to answer your question as my colleague Dr Sean is not here today. Ano-genital warts are caused by HPV (Human Papilloma Virus), viruses found in up to 20% of people aged 15 to 49 years, even though less than 10% would have apparent warts, with a median incubation eriod of three months, being no longer detectable in most people after two years of infection. They are transmitted through direct contact with the warts and/or genital fluids containing the virus, usually during sexual intercourse, as a consequence of micro-abrasions that enable viral inoculation into the epithelium. Ano-genital warts can occur on other sites, but they are rare, like in fingers, mouth, larynx, eye and nose, occuring in less than 5% of cases, but suggesting the risk of oro-genital transmission, usually mainly being transmitted from genital to mouth when performing oral sex and not the other way around. The person at risk of getting mouth warts would be the one performing the blow job or the cunnilinigus on someone with HPV. These are usually caused bt the HPV subtypes 6 and 11.
Therefore in your case, if what you have is a mouth wart caused by HPV, I would say that there is no significant risk of passing it onto your partner by kissing or by doing cunnilinigus. And in any case, it is most unlikely that what you have is an oral wart caused by HPV. The best thing to do would be to show it to your doctor or dentist and get referred to see an oral surgeon if necessary.
Best wisehs,
Jose
Thank you Dr Jose for a helpful reply. Could I ask a follow-up question?
I have type-44 HPV on the scrotum ( you did the test for me some time ago). Am I right that a person with this strain is much less likely to have actual warts than if they were infected with HPV 6 or 11? Or is type 44 just less common but with the same risk?
Finally do you think it is possible for HPV (warts or otherwise) to be transmitted by using the towel of an infected person? Some commentators say it's impossible but others suggest it happens sometimes and I don't know whom to believe or how seriously to take the risk. I'm worrying because my young daughter recently took my bathtowel by mistake to use after swimming, a few hours after I had used it. Normally I hide my towel so no one can use it.
Hi, there!
Thank you for your post regarding HPV. More than 90% of all genital warts are caused by HPV types 6 and 11. Type 44 is more rare, but has the same potential of causing genital warts as 6 and 11. It is less common, but has the same risk. It is not associated with any cancer. There is no risk of HPV transmission with sharing towels, as one needs to have direct contact with the lesions and/or genital fluids, skin to skin. Therefore you do not need to worry about your daughter.
Best wishes,
Jose
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