I have hpv. Protection from catching it again if my body gets rid of it?
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Answers:
Condoms do not provide 100% protection in acquiring HPV.
There will always be a possibility that may share your infection with a new sex partner.
You and your partner will not ping pong your virus back and forth but condoms have been shown to help the virus regress and to provide more protection to your cervix.
Your partner should have a good visible exam to see if he has small flat warts. There is no DNA/HPV test for the male. Many men whose partners have CIN will show small flat warts and it may help you if he has these warts removed. Unfortunately many men will have the virus with no visible signs. He does share your high risk HPV types.
If you and your current partner are in a committed relationship use condoms until you have two clear Pap smears.
If you should acquire a new sex partners he should be told of your past HPV infection.
Condom use promotes regression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and clearance of human papillomavirus: a randomized clinical trial.
Hogewoning CJ, Bleeker MC, van den Brule AJ, Voorhorst FJ, Snijders PJ, Berkhof J, Westenend PJ, Meijer CJ.
Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Dordrecht, the Netherlands.
Women with persistent HPV infections have increased risk of progressive CIN lesions. Transmission of HPV between sexual partners might maintain viral infection and, consequently, may influence the clinical course of CIN. We investigated the effect of condom use on regression of CIN lesions and on clearance of HPV. Women with CIN and their male sexual partners were randomized for condom use (condom group n = 72 and noncondom group n = 76). They were conservatively managed and followed every 3-6 months by colposcopy, cytology and HPV testing by GP5+/6+ PCR. Baseline cervical biopsy specimens were taken. Median follow-up time for women was 15.2 months (range 3.0-85.4). Outcomes of interest were clinical regression of CIN at colposcopy and clearance of HPV. Outcomes were assessed in 64 women of the condom group and 61 women of the noncondom group. Women in the condom group showed a 2-year cumulative regression rate of 53% vs. 35% in the noncondom group (p = 0.03). The 2-year cumulative rates of HPV clearance were 23% vs. 4%, respectively (p = 0.02). Although lower regression rates were found if women were HPV-positive and had > or =CIN2 lesions at baseline, effects of condom use were found both in women with CIN1 and in women with > or =CIN2 lesions. Condom use promotes regression of CIN lesions and clearance of HPV..
PMID: 14566832
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