a little bit about the history of my situation;

1st i noticed it was 6 to 7 years ago it was a single cauliflower like bump & i had it removed by having LEEP,then it came back again & only one single wart looking like a skin tag i didn't do anything about it except not using razors to shave my privates,then about 2 years ago i went to this urologist who casually sprayed it with nitrogen & didn't schedule any follow up sessions

After 6 months i noticed 3 smaller than the last ones,warts & 3 new ones appeared in the last 3 months

During this whole time i smoked cigarettes like once a day or maybe once every week & didn't take any supplements or meds for my situation

Is there still hope that i could clear the virus?

I gave up smoking cigarettes since mid summer i think

Should i see a dermatologist?

Any advice or experience would be appreciated

TYAIA

I’m 48 and am in process of getting divorced so I’ll be dating soon.

In my 20s, I had a relatively aggressive issue with HPV and had the biopsy and LEEP and all that.

I would love to get the vaccine before I start dating as I assume it would help protect me against other strains? But it seems insurance doesn’t cover it.

Does anyone know how much it costs? Or if I go to a health clinic would it be a lot cheaper?

Any guidance appreciated!

Hello last year I tested positive for high-risk HPV (non 16/18 strain) and this year I again tested positive. I’ve been with my current partner for four years so it’s making me nervous because I don’t know how long this infection has been going on for. My doctor wants to do a colpo, but I’m terrified of her finding anything. The three things I’m actively doing to get rid of my HPV

1) finished taking Gradasil-9 (I took Gradasil-4 when I was younger)

This month I started:

2) using Deflagyn gel every night for 3 months, hopefully to clear any abnormal cells I’m not aware of. (Costed me $400 for a 3 month supply)

3) taking AHCC supplements 3g per day for 6 months to hopefully support my immune system to clear it for good (costing me $80 per two week, $160 a month)

I’m also avoiding intercourse with my partner unless he has a condom, and he’s trying to get vaccinated like me.

My case feels so strange to me because I don’t know if this virus has been present for four years and why my pap-smears are still clear but has HPV dna present. I really hope nothing is seen in my colpo, and I can clear this thing within the next 6 months :(

Hola, alguien de aquí que ya haya tenido su primer cirugía o más bien, que me hayan retirado lesiones internas (condilomas, verrugas internas por vph) y después del proceso, alguien siente que después de hacer del 2 (osea hacer popo) por más que uno se limpia, a la hora después tiene residuos de Popis?

Hi everyone,

I am a male and recently diagnosed with genital warts. My doctor offered to do cryotherapy right away (said it takes just 1 minute), but warned me about potential skin discoloration/scarring.

Because I panicked about scarring, I asked for Aldara (Imiquimod) cream instead, which he prescribed. However, I didn't get an HPV PCR typing test done, so I don't know for sure if it's type 6/11 or something else, and not knowing is causing me a lot of stress.

I’m now wondering if I made the right choice or if I should just go ahead with cryo (or even electrodessication/cautery).

For those who’ve been through this:

1. Did cryo leave noticeable or permanent scars/light spots on you, or did your skin tone recover?

2. Did you use Aldara, and was it effective without leaving marks?

3. Would you recommend just getting cryo/cautery over cream for faster results?

Would really appreciate hearing your experiences. Thanks!

Hi! This year hasn’t been great for my vaginal health or for my sex life. I started birth control (Mercilon) at the beginning of the year and noticed that my vagina has become so much drier that sex becomes slightly painful. On top of that, I’ve been dealing with genital warts since mid-April until now and was prescribed Aldara. I had some spots slightly inside the vaginal opening and had to apply the cream there, which caused my skin to thin out and become super sensitive. Now even one or two fingers are uncomfortable, and sometimes it even causes a bruise or tear at the opening. I’ve tried to explain this to my gynecologists, but their suggestion to use a hydrating cream hasn’t worked so far, and because of their mishaps in the past, I’m slowly losing my trust in them.

I feel quite defeated and angry, and this has affected my confidence a lot because I feel ugly and disgusting to my boyfriend (he’s been incredibly understanding and supportive, I just can’t shake that feeling).

Has anyone had a similar experience and can share their advice?

I think it's a cruel irony that I was basically a nun for the last few years while I worked to lose 110 pounds and THEN I noticed warts a year and a half after my last hookup.

Just two little tiny ones, thought they were skin tags for the longest time, and then had a sobering conversation with myself about it. Started treatment in January with Aldara, saw some progress but not enough, so we moved on to liquid nitrogen.

It's just crazy to me that the one that responded to Aldara seemed to get worse when we used liquid nitrogen and vice versa. One down (shaft), one kinda being stubborn and not fading (at the base).

Now TODAY, I'm doing some light manscaping (just trimming where I can, not using anything that would have skin to skin contact to keep spread away) and I notice what I think to be a third, which means now I need to start the process all over again.

I know it's not the end of the world and these will clear, but by god does it suck to be single, ready to mingle again, and then be forced to avoid any type of sex. I don't even classify myself as an overly horny person but now that I am required to NOT have sex it's all I want. On top of that, I'm emotionally over needing to keep returning to my doctor to get my dick sprayed with liquid nitrogen - weirdly feel more shame about it each time I go.

Anyway - just a rant. Any tips on ways to help reduce warts between nitrogen sessions would be appreciated, because good lord I need to see some progress. OH ALSO, any tips on not thinking every tiny bump I see is a wart that's going to need treatment, because sometimes it's truly impossible to tell if it's a follicle or not.

​

After a pap I got recently .... he took full accountability for it... do i say okay thanks ? Ask questions?

What i did say was I dont know for sure if it was you but you were a recent partner and I dont want another woman to go through this stress... luckily I have no abnormal cells. Maybe im just venting.

Normal Pap after previous LSIL + high-risk HPV — is one-year follow-up appropriate?
Hi everyone! I’m 26 and looking for advice from people who have been in a similar situation.
In December 2024, I had an ASC-US Pap. In November 2025, my Pap showed LSIL, and I tested positive for high-risk HPV, but negative for HPV 16 and 18.
I recently had another Pap on October 6, 2026, and it came back normal/negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy. My clinician also said my cervix looked normal during the exam.
At the appointment, they collected a Pap, but I was told they didn’t repeat the HPV test because the Pap was normal. I was initially told my next Pap would be due in three years, but after I called to ask about my previous HPV-positive result, the office mentioned following up in one year. I’m waiting for my clinician to clarify the plan.
I’m happy that my Pap is normal, but I’m confused about whether I should have repeat HPV testing or a colposcopy given my previous LSIL and high-risk HPV result. I am still waiting for a follow up call to discuss next steps.

For anyone who has had a similar history:
Did your Pap return to normal while your HPV status was still unknown or positive?
Were you advised to repeat HPV testing or have a colposcopy?
Did your clinician recommend follow-up in one year?
I’d appreciate hearing about your experiences. I’m trying to understand the usual follow-up recommendations without assuming the worst. Thank you! ❤️

I have my colposcopy tomorrow and I’m freaking out. I took the day off of work due to being scared of the pain. Am I overreacting? I’ve had an IUD placed and it hurt like hell. I’ve also given birth and that wasn’t as bad as the IUD lol

I’m pleased to share our review published online in Infectious Agents and Cancer (Springer Nature), examining the scientific evidence and policy decisions behind India’s national HPV vaccination initiative.
What does the review cover?
Vaccine efficacy: Three independent datasets from India, Kenya and Costa Rica support the effectiveness of single-dose HPV vaccination over their respective follow-up periods.
Safety: Large Scandinavian cohort studies have not identified a safety signal warranting a change in HPV vaccination policy.
Real-world impact: Registry-based studies have reported cervical cancer reductions of 87% in England and 88% among women vaccinated before age 17 in Sweden.
India’s policy journey: The review examines the 2009-10 controversy, the eight-year interval between NTAGI’s recommendation and the national launch, and the development of the indigenous Cervavac vaccine.
Implementation and equity: We discuss the limitations of the narrow age-cohort approach, the transition from donated vaccines to domestic production, and the need to strengthen cervical cancer screening.
Our central argument: The scientific case for HPV vaccination is strong, but vaccine efficacy alone does not guarantee an effective national programme. Equitable access, public trust, sustainable supply, and screening must remain central to India’s cervical cancer prevention strategy.
An important distinction in our review is that the evidence supporting HPV vaccination itself is stronger than the evidence supporting every specific design choice in India’s 2026 rollout.
Read the full article:
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13027-026-00810-2

I hope this review is useful to clinicians, public health professionals, immunisation programme managers, researchers and students interested in HPV vaccination and cancer prevention.

Hi, everyone. I’m 29F and Ive been having abnormal pap smears for almost maybe 4 years now and I’ve gotten a biopsy done 3 times and I’m having my first leep in a few weeks. Any advice will help!

Hepatitis B vaccine, (Recombivax HB, Engerix-B)
HPV-9 Valent
She was vaccinated a long time ago, but recently her Pap smear results came up abnormal, so they ran an hpv test. They called her saying she has HPV? I think? Is it possible she has nothing and therefore I have nothing? Our high school did vaccinations for this, but I cannot remember if I was vaccinated for it… it’s possible but my records haven’t recorded it. I was in high school in 2013

Currently in the “recovery” period. Instead of sharing my details/experience, I figured I would just say ASK ME ANYTHING! Happy to answer questions if it helps anybody ❤️

ive got my first real wart in march 2024.

since then its been a roller-coaster.

i learned alot, but primarily ruined my life that wasn't that great before.

ive come to a point ime anxious and scared to have sex, get depressed when i have interaction with girls that want me, became obsessed with checking myself for new diseases. lost some hair..

been burning the every 3-8 months but they always apear again! really small and slowly growing. i think i have 3 different strays. bc i see different warts.

i really dont know what do to...

i just feel that even if a girl accepts me with it ,im still ruining her life.

feeling hopeless.

34 year old male. Cut myself shaving in 2 spots in my private parts 5 years ago. Both cuts turned into raised bumps that I assumed was just a scar. Finally went to my doc a month ago and got referred to derm. A few days a the dermatologist took one look at it and said that’s gw, sexually transmitted. Cryo’d them and left the room telling me to make a follow up a month out. I’ve been with just my wife for 13 years now and have no reason to believe she hasn’t been faithful. Her last pap in 2024 was negative for hpv tests, and she got vaccinated when she was a teen. My follow up with my doc made him sound skeptical of the derms diagnosis. Either way it’s left a funk on me and my wife since I got them looked at. But the timeline isn’t adding up. My doc is skeptical cause the two spots I cut myself happened to turn into these bumps, and haven’t spread, grown, changed at all in 5 years. Either way I just hate not knowing for sure if it’s hpv or not. Scared to have sex with my wife again not knowing. Has anyone had a wart biopsied to tell for sure? As of now they want me to see how they respond to cryo and if they don’t fall off after that I can possibly get them biopsied.

Hi I’m pretty sure I have warts as I went to see the gp and he referred me to the sexual clinic (waiting to see someone) they said it would be some time. I came up with a wart about a week ago and I’ve been gutted since. I’m a bit worried about getting rejected or turned down when it comes to the bedroom after I tell them I probably have it. In your experience has anyone not been okay with it? Obviously I’ll wrap up (this time, learnt my lesson the hard way😅) but I still feel like I’m putting my partner at risk

Hi, i'm worried since I recived oral sex, It was casual sex on a sex booth, it was from a stranger, but I used condom all the time, the only thing that worries me is that when we finished, I had make up traces on my testicles and pubes. This happened 15 days ago.

Please help i'm scared

I'm in a serious relationship that is going on six months. I recently found out that I have HPV and LSIL. The gynecologist told me to follow up in a year. The HPV is high risk but not the 16/18 strain. I'm in my mid-40s and went through a difficult divorce almost two years ago. Since then I dated multiple people until meeting my current partner, who I am in love with and would like to be in a long term relationship with (the feeling is mutual- he is great). I don't know who I got the HPV from. In my early 20s I had high-risk HPV (16/18) that led to CIN3 and I had to have a LEEP followed by a cold knife procedure, I was with my ex husband at the time early in our relationship, and after th cold knife procedure the HPV cleared on its own. I had the first dose of the gardasil vaccine over a year ago, and the second dose in July. For the past month since I've known about the HPV, I've really struggled to tell my partner. I keep wanting to bring it up but the timing never feels right. I don't want to upset him or change our sexual relationship (which is great). After the cold knife procedure 20 years ago, I felt like my sexual relationship with my ex husband was never the same. I'm serious about the person I'm seeing now, and feel that it's important to tell him about this, but I get cold feet every time I think about bringing it up. It's torturing me and I feel so guilty. How do I bring it up?? What can I say to reassure him? My mother had ovarian cancer and I'm scheduled to have a hysterectomy in May, so eventually I hope I will be past this (although I know that they still need to check for HPV even after a hysterectomy). But for now, how do I tell my partner about it? Why am I so afraid? Any words of encouragement are appreciated. Thank you.

This time last year my long term partner and I stopped having sex because he had a GW. He treated it, it went away, a month or so later we had unprotected regular sex again, and alas! I never had any symptoms and got a normal pap since then. Both of us are wart free one year later. Feeling overwhelmingly grateful!!!!

I got an email from the lab saying that my HPV aptima test was positive. 16,18,45 were negative. Does the aptima test test for all HPV strains or just the high-risk ones?

I messaged my doctor and she said that everything else was normal so they will redo the pap in a year. She also said to reach out with any questions. What kinds of things should I ask her, if anything?

I just feel really overwhelmed right now and I don’t know where to start. I know there’s no treatment for it since I have no warts so it’s just a waiting game. Is there anything you wish you knew when you first got a positive result?

Hi everyone. I’m a 23y.o. male living in Italy, and I’m hoping to hear from people who have experienced something similar or have medical knowledge about this condition.

I was diagnosed with anal/perianal condylomas by a proctologist. I have multiple lesions around my anus, including one big external growth that’s approximately the size of a small grape. As of now, it shrinks a little bit, I only put a zinc oxide cream around the anus.

According to my medical report, there are also additional condylomas affecting the anoderm and anal mucosa, identified during anoscopy.

My (private) doctor recommended removing the lesions in an operating room under spinal anesthesia, with the tissue sent for histological examination.

Unfortunately, I’m an international student in Italy without an Italian health insurance card, and navigating the healthcare system has been difficult. I’ve contacted several services but haven’t yet found an affordable solution.

I’m not refusing surgery if it’s medically necessary. However, before committing to an expensive procedure, I’d like to understand whether there are other appropriate options.

I’m trying to obtain a second opinion before proceeding with the recommended operation.

I understand that everyone’s situation is different, and I know that advice online cannot replace an examination by a qualified doctor.

I’m hoping to learn from other people’s experiences and understand what questions I should ask my specialist.

Thank you to anyone willing to share their experience. I really appreciate it.

hey guys, for quite some time now, ive been experiencing persistent itching in my genital area, particularly around my labia. yesterday, i noticed what looks like a genital wart around my vagina hole, i immediately booked an appointment with my gynecologist.

i went to my gynecologist first thing this morning. he examined it and said that it does look like a papilloma, but he gave me a referral for a swab and HPV testing to determine whether it's a regular papilloma or something caused by the HPV virus.

im honestly pretty scared right now because I don't know what to expect. if my test comes back positive, does this mean I should be seriously worried about my health, is HPV life-threatening? What should I mentally prepare myself for, and what to do...

how will this affect my sex life in the future? will I still be able to have a normal sex life with my partner? we've been together for almost three years, when i told him earlier about what my gyno said he immediately booked his appointment to test for everything he can, he was so scared and worried for me.

i'd really appreciate it if anyone who's been through something similar could share their experience. how did you deal with the diagnosis, is there anything you wish you'd known when you first found out?

i know I need to wait for my test results before jumping to conclusions, but the uncertainty is really getting to me right now and im really worried, and thank you so much to anyone willing to share their story. <3

34F 2024 I had my first positive hpv test (non 16/18), clear pap. 2025 still positive with ASC-H. I put off going for almost a full year due to anxiety and I finally went yesterday to have my colpop and didn’t even need a biopsy. We did do an ECC just incase and all was clear!! I searched endlessly for asc-h stories and there are not too many stories so just wanted to share. I will just need repeat pap in a year from now. I did not retest for hpv at the colpop and have been taking ACHH for about a year as well!

24f here, got my pap results today and I’m positive with 16 51 66 genotype
I’m really devastated idk what to do
i can’t talk to anybody about it besides my gynecologist
Need some real advice from someone who’s been diagnosed with high risk hpv and is cured now