Maybe you went in for a routinePapor HPV test and your doctor called with some unexpected results.
Why did you get it?
Does this mean you have to stop havingsexfor some undetermined period of time?
Ryan Segedi. Prop styling by JoJo Li.
To give you some clarity, we asked a few HPV experts to answer these questions.
It simply means you have a communicable disease that literally millions of other people have, too.
And, depending on the circumstances, it might not even change your sex life much.
It all comes down to the specifics of your situation.
Keep reading to see what we mean.
As Dr. Lau explains and as you may relate to, thats just not realistic for many people.
Theres also the chance that one of you could touch the others genitals and then your own.
HPV is a group of more than 150 related viruses, according to theCDC.
Each one gets a different number, which is called its HPV pop in or strain.
Unfortunately, while anyone can get HPV, not everyone can easily test for it.
The vast majority of the time, HPV doesnt cause any harm.
Pretty cool, right?
Keep in mind, the vast majority of HPV cases will go away on their own.
And this typically happens in the first six months post-infection.
National Library of Medicine.
High-risk HPV strains, such as types 16 and 18, can also resolve on their own.
But, as we mentioned, HPV is pretty much everywhere.
And in some cases, you might be advised to abstain from sex for a while.
If youre under 30, your body is more likely to clear HPV on its own.
This is whyHPV tests actually arent recommended for people under 30.
So, how would you even know you have HPV then if youre under 30?
Maybe you had an abnormal Pap test result.
A lot of things cancause an abnormal Pap(and false results are also possible).
More advanced cervical cell changes known ascervical dysplasiacan also cause abnormal Pap tests.
Doctors can also perform whats known asreflex HPV testingon a conventional Pap sample to reveal high-risk HPV.
The risk of getting exposed to HPV is just part of having sex these days.
I think abstaining is not the answer, Dr. Lau tells SELF.
The recommendation from theU.S.
(The latter is called co-testing.)
Same goes if the test was positive.
And if you co-tested, what do your results mean in conjunction with your Pap?
And theres no real reason to abstain from sex in the meantime.
you could learn more about the possible resultshere.
These warts are characteristic of low-risk strains of HPV, typically types 6 and 11.
They can be raised or flat and sometimes look like cauliflower, theCDCsays.
Though these warts might go away on their own, they often come back.
That gives them a chance to decide if they want to hold off on sex or have it anyway.
Some of these treatments can weaken latex and irritate your partners skin, according to theMayo Clinic.
So, even if the warts are gone, there is still risk of HPV transmission.
But there are times when it definitely makes more sense to share.
She suggests that everyone get the vaccine, even people who have already been diagnosed with HPV.
You have to live your life, Dr. Lau says.
