Roommate with HPV

So I will be moving in with one of my girlfriends, and she just confided to me that she has HPV. I did a little research about it. I did not know that it could be transfered from skin to skin contact of the genitals etc.
Well anyway, I was wondering we probably should not do our laundry together.... just to be CAUTIOUS. I might switch form using a natural based laundry detergent to a Tide that is free and clear of dyes and perfumes. The reason why I am saying this is because I have noticed the natural detergents often do not clean that well especially when it comes to panties etc.

Also, It has been so long that I have been to a gyno, and I am due for a pap smear. Does an STD test also detect HPV? I did not know that it was so prevalent!

 

An STD test will pick up HPV. I think a huge percentage of sexually active woman and men have HPV. http://http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm#common This website says about fifty percent of the population has it. I thought I had read a larger number somewhere else, but who knows. I think you can only pass it through genital to genital contact, but who knows about it being spread on clothes.

 

Wow! Isnt that crazy that 50 percent of sexually active people have it. Thats huuuuge! It definately will make me more careful if I have intercourse with someone!

 

50% sounds like a bit much to me. i read that 3%-28% of the US population is estimated to have HPV, and that sounds far more likely.

and that link goes to a HTTP site

 

I read somewhere, and I have no idea where now, that it was more like 70-80% of the population has been exposed to one sort of hpv or another.

 

"Genital HPV infection is very common, with estimates suggesting that up to 75% of women will become infected with one or more of the sexually-transmitted HPV types at some point during adulthood (Baseman 2005)."

I don't believe all of those high ass STD stats though

if 75% of women will get HPV
and 60% of the population will get STD b
and 40% of the population will get STD c
and 30% will get STD d
and it only goes up to 100%, logic has to tell you that these things aren't adding up too well

 

but hpv isn't a regular sort of std. It's a virus, and it's everywhere. It's actually several different viruses, that cause different symptoms, or no symptoms at all.


Your logic ain't working. It doesn't have to add up to 100% if you are talking about different things. Try it with something else instead.
50% eat apples during week X
35% eat oranges during week X
70% eat grapes during week X
Eating apples is not exclusive, some people also eat grapes and oranges. It doesn't have to add up, because we are talking about entirely different variables.


Butterfly, there is no reason to switch to a different detergent or worry about your roommate. You have probably already been exposed at some point or another, if you have ever had unprotected sex, ever. And... to add to the confusion, I tested negative for HPV during my pregnancies, but I know for a fact my husband has/had it (genital warts) and I have most certainly been exposed.

 

Arent you still at risk for getting it even while wearing a condom? Id heard that it can sometimes (albeit more rarely than when totally unprotected) transmitted through even just like ball to vulva-type contact... aaaah rumours.

 

thank you for assuming I'm retarded, that's real nice

we aren't tlaking about eating fruit
we are talking about catching STDs
and if 70% of people got STD a
60% got STD b, etc. etc.
especially with some STDs being uncurable it just doesn't seem to make sense
there would have to be (a whole bunch of) people running around with like 8 different STDs
fuck, it seems if those perecentages were true, the only STD-free people would be monks, super fat dudes, and kids

 

HPV isn't too bad unless of course you develope cervical cancer from it. Most of the time your immune system corrects the problem and you no longer have HPV. Having a strong immune system is the answer. Almost all males who are infected don't even know that they are and pass it along. It spreads like a wild fire. I was only with 3 people in my life time and my x b/f gave it to me when he cheated on me. it's not too bad. i'm hoping my immune system will cure it. It can only be spread through sexual activity.

 

awh*hugs*

 

This is what I remember reading somewhere as well. Like you, I have no idea where I read it, but I totally remember reading something like that.

 

I did a search on google, and all the sites say that a large population of sexually active people will contract it. There are over 40 different types of HPV.

So gential warts/herpes and HPV are different?

Anyway, Im due for a pap!

 

genital warts is caused by HPV, herpes is a different virus.

 

Yeah, and herpes is extra-scary too, because it can be spread even with careful condom use, but most people who carry it never even have an outbreak. And testing almost always coes out negative unless perform DURING an outbreak. A friend of mine found out about this because she contracted it from a bf after they'd both tested clean of all STDs. She happened to be sensative to the virus that he just carried. Sucky, huh?

 

So freaking sucky! Same goes with HPV. You can still contract it even with condom use.


We all need to be careful!

 

Good news, though. THey have developed an HPV vaccination. Don't think it's on the market yet or even fda approved...

 

DO NOT SHARE YOUR LAUNDRY STUFF.
My boyfriends ex-roommate had a new girlfriend....neither the roommate nor the girlfriend informed my boyfriend and I that she has HPV-genital warts and she used my bath towel (I left mine there and she decided to use it once when she spent the night) when I found out I was kinda weirded out that someone else had used my towel, but still I used it anyway. I contracted HPV from the towel (My gyno said that it was HIGHLY likely that I contracted it this way considering where my breakouts were). So, as a precaution, do your laundry seperately and keep your towels where only YOU can use them. Also, don't use her razors. If she shaves herself and has visible warts and she cuts one open, then you use that razor, I'm guessing there's a pretty big chance you could catch them that way.

 

you can have hpv for years before ever seeing the first wart. most people never know exactly when or who infected them. most people never have any symptoms at all, just carry the virus. It's really not such a big deal that I'd poison my body and my immune system with a vaccine or worry too much about laundry and towels.

 

Now that is quite the sucky story.