Would my partner have hpv as well?

I asked my partner if he had HPV and he said that his last partner had a pap test and was told everything was normal, so she is clean and doesnt have hpv. Does that mean I am safe too?
I am going to get a pap test next week just to be sure, is this a waste of money?

Hi Womansworth,

Thanks for your questions, HPV infections can be confusing for women and I want to add a couple of things to Pat's great information.

First of all there is no test for HPV in men. I wish there were but currently only women can be tested through pap screenings and the HPV DNA probe.

Like Pat wrote, HPV has hundreds of different variants and only some of them are associated with cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer. We call those strains of HPV "high risk". It sounds like that is what you have and I am glad you are receiving the appropriate treatments from your doctor.

Your question about passing it to your partner and then getting reinfected is probably one of the most common questions I get from women about HPV. The simplest answer is that because HPV is a virus you will always have it, even if your cervical cells are not expressing dysplastic changes. If your partner has HPV and you have unprotected sex you are exposing yourself to whatever strain he has and you are exposing him to whatever strain you have. You cannot be reinfected with the same strain but you can be infected with other strains that you do not already have.
If you use condoms as protection they are only 70% effective against HPV infection because the virus often live on the scrotum in males.

Hope that helps and take care

Hello Womansworth -
Yes, men can get HPV too, from genital contact -- most often through vaginal or anal sex, but it is possible to pass it to a partner just through skin-to-skin contact in the genital area with no intercourse. Most men won't ever have symptoms, but they can pass the virus on to women. Some men do get genital warts, but only about 1% of sexually active men in the United States have them at any given time.

The best way to tell him is to be straight forward, and to provide helpful information so he can see his healthcare professional and be tested.

Here's a page about HPV in men from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv-and-men.htm

There are many kinds of the human papillomavirus. HPV itself carries hundreds of variations, according to the Mayo Clinic, and 30 or 40 of those can affect the genital area. But most HPV infections do not progress to cervical cancer. If abnormal cells develop, routine Pap tests usually can detect them at an early stage so they can be treated. Regular Pap tests are important because women with early cervical cancer generally don't have any symptoms.

Here's a very thorough overview of HPV, how it's transmitted, symptoms and treatment:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hpv-infection/DS00906

Best wishes to you as you learn more about the steps you, and your partner, will need to take. Thanks for writing to us, and let us know how things go for you.

Take good care,
Pat