HPV and telling past partners?
Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2019 6:52 pm
Hi Scarleteen,
Within the last month I had sex with two new partners, both cis men. These experiences were consensual and felt pretty good, and we used condoms. They were also both pretty casual encounters; I don't know if I'll see either of them again, and I likely won't have sex with either of them again.
BUT a few days after the second encounter I found a bump on my labia.... I went to a walk-in clinic and saw the doctor there. She took a swab as I was worried it was herpes, but so far the test has been negative; she also thought that it didn't seem like herpes but is probably a genital wart, HPV. She said "probably"; and that I should go to the sexual health clinic here to get it treated/checked out. I made an appointment at that clinic but they can't see me for another month still.
I have a lot of anxiety about what to do; it's pretty much entirely around telling these past two partners; if it's something I should tell them or not... First of all, the doctor didn't really give me a clear 100% diagnosis regarding HPV. I hope that when I get to the health clinic they will be able to give me a clear diagnosis and hopefully, if it is HPV some kind of treatment to get the wart cleared up. And then I can also tell any future partners that I have had a positive HPV diagnosis, and they can make informed decisions based on that.
But I don't know what to do about these recent partners... who I am worried I may have exposed unknowingly to this virus (although I know i could also have gotten it from them -- or another partner in the more distant past, even). I feel like I should tell them but... I don't really have a clear diagnosis yet. And I don't really understand the health implications for cis men; like I know HPV can cause cancer for them, but there's no test in my province for them to see if they have it. So do I need to say something? It makes me so so anxious to think about it, especially contacting people I might not otherwise talk to again/don't know very well about this.
I don't know how I would go about doing that/ I need a clear understanding of why it's important for their health or health of future partners... I understand that most people get exposed to HPV if they are sexually active... but I still feel frustrated and kind of ashamed, and like I will have this thing hanging over me forever. If I do need to talk to them I don't want to do it in this headspace in which I will feel ashamed and apologetic. I didn't have any symptoms until after these sexual encounters. I just need some help here.
Within the last month I had sex with two new partners, both cis men. These experiences were consensual and felt pretty good, and we used condoms. They were also both pretty casual encounters; I don't know if I'll see either of them again, and I likely won't have sex with either of them again.
BUT a few days after the second encounter I found a bump on my labia.... I went to a walk-in clinic and saw the doctor there. She took a swab as I was worried it was herpes, but so far the test has been negative; she also thought that it didn't seem like herpes but is probably a genital wart, HPV. She said "probably"; and that I should go to the sexual health clinic here to get it treated/checked out. I made an appointment at that clinic but they can't see me for another month still.
I have a lot of anxiety about what to do; it's pretty much entirely around telling these past two partners; if it's something I should tell them or not... First of all, the doctor didn't really give me a clear 100% diagnosis regarding HPV. I hope that when I get to the health clinic they will be able to give me a clear diagnosis and hopefully, if it is HPV some kind of treatment to get the wart cleared up. And then I can also tell any future partners that I have had a positive HPV diagnosis, and they can make informed decisions based on that.
But I don't know what to do about these recent partners... who I am worried I may have exposed unknowingly to this virus (although I know i could also have gotten it from them -- or another partner in the more distant past, even). I feel like I should tell them but... I don't really have a clear diagnosis yet. And I don't really understand the health implications for cis men; like I know HPV can cause cancer for them, but there's no test in my province for them to see if they have it. So do I need to say something? It makes me so so anxious to think about it, especially contacting people I might not otherwise talk to again/don't know very well about this.
I don't know how I would go about doing that/ I need a clear understanding of why it's important for their health or health of future partners... I understand that most people get exposed to HPV if they are sexually active... but I still feel frustrated and kind of ashamed, and like I will have this thing hanging over me forever. If I do need to talk to them I don't want to do it in this headspace in which I will feel ashamed and apologetic. I didn't have any symptoms until after these sexual encounters. I just need some help here.