A
female
age
36-40,
anonymous
writes:Hi all my boyfriend has a wart on his penis which he is not sure where it came from.We have been together for nearly 3 years and I know he has been completely faithful as am I.I don't have any warts or anything.My question is, For how long can genital warts stay dormant? thank youAlso he has a appointment on Monday at doctors
View related questions:
genital warts Reply to this Question
Share |
Fancy yourself as an agony aunt? Add your answer to this question! A
female
reader, aunt honesty  +, writes (13 April 2016):
 It may sound odd yes, but it is a fact, it is also a fact that it can last longer than two years in a woman's body also, but statistically it is less than 1 in 10 women, it is still possible though.
A
female
reader, CindyCares  +, writes (12 April 2016):
 FWIW, the way I know it,it is that there are over 100 strains of HPV, about 30 of which can cause genital warts. Of these, the more common, the more.. " popular " by a great length are strain 6 and strain 11, which generally pass from latent to expressed ( i.e. forming warts ) in 1 to 8 months from the infection.
But , there still are other strains which can stay dormant for years and years.
Also the fact of the virus clearing itself off the body in 1 or 2 years in general, it's true for these main strains- luckily the " good ones ". You get an outbreak of warts , and that's it , it never turns into anything else.
But, unluckily is it not always so easy, as proven by the fact that the average onset in cervical cancer is 5 years from the first outbreak of warts caused by a " nasty " strain.
...............................
A
female
reader, chigirl  +, writes (12 April 2016):
 Where does it say that the hpv-virus can live longer in a mans body than a woman? That sounds very odd. I've been googling this now without finding any reliable source that can state the dormant-time, or what time period after the break-out you can rely on for knowing when you're "in the clear".
OP, you really just need to ask your doctor this question. I never heard (and no offense, but don't believe) that it can lie dormant in a man for longer than in a woman.
...............................
A
female
reader, aunt honesty +, writes (11 April 2016):
Generally when it lies dormant in a woman for more than two years then it is cleared, but chigirl it is different for a man, it can lie dormant for years in a man and then show up, so honeypie is right in what she is saying. Its good that he is going to the doctor, and if it is warts am sure the doctor will give you both good advice, please get yourself checked as well.
...............................
A
female
reader, chigirl +, writes (11 April 2016):
Honeypie, what you have heard isn't true. It can only lie dormant for two years. If you haven't any any outbreaks in two years, you no longer have it. It does not stay there for decades and then appear again. That's herpes.
I know this because my gynecologist told me when I had genital warts. All these stories you hear about it being dormant for decades is just some excuse made up by cheaters who don't want to be caught.
And no, you can't catch STI's from toilet seats either. That's also a cheaters myth.
But, you can get genital herpes without intercourse, all it takes, as I mentioned before, is that the genitals come in contact, or that you touch him with your hand and then touch yourself. It spreads very easy and not through saliva, just skin to skin contact.
...............................
A
female
reader, Honeypie  +, writes (10 April 2016):
 It's good that he is going to see the doctors and soon.
Unfortunately.. he can still give you HPV (genital warts) even when using a condom.
From what I have read HPV can lie dormant for decades.
I would make an appointment for YOU with your GYN (if it does turn out to be genital warts) so she can check you out and give you the BEST advice for keeping the chance of giving it back and forth to a minimum.
Good thing about HPV genital warts is that it's not the type of HPV that causes cervical and penile cancer. So I suppose there is a silver lining.
...............................
A
female
reader, Tisha-1 +, writes (10 April 2016):
 This is a medical question, and as such, should be directed to your medical health providers. I did find you a link: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Genital_warts/Pages/Introduction.aspx
"How do they spread?
Genital warts can be spread during vaginal or anal sex, and by sharing sex toys. But you don't need to have penetrative sex to pass the infection on because HPV is spread by skin-to-skin contact.
Read more about the causes of genital warts.
It can take months, or even years, for warts to develop after infection with HPV. So if you're in a relationship and you get genital warts, it does not necessarily mean your partner has been having sex with other people.
HPV is most likely to be transmitted to others when warts are present, although it is still possible to pass the virus on before the warts have developed and after they have disappeared.”
This question should be directed at his doctor, and now, at yours. You wouldn’t be able to see HPV lesions inside your vagina or on your cervix.
Best wishes to you.
...............................
A
female
reader, chigirl +, writes (10 April 2016):
First, lets hear the doctor out and see if it's genital warts or not. If it's genital warts, it can stay dormant for two years. If there is no outbreak in two years, then you no longer have it. However, it could be you had genital warts, had sex with him, he got it, and he's getting the outbreak now. If it comes back as genital warts, you should get checked up on. And, if it's genital warts, you should wear condoms and no rubbing genitals up against each other or touching his privates with your hands then touch yours. Genital warts spread like wildfire. So if it is genital warts, you need to take precautions for the next two years. Of course, it's not like it's going to kill you, but just passing it between each other for years on end isn't much fun.
You can have warts too, just not be aware of them. How often do you check yourself with a mirror down there? And inside the opening? Because genital warts on women appear on the vulva or even inside the vagina. Treatment for women is therefor a bit more bothersome, as it can be difficult to reach the warts.
I've had genital warts, so I know what Im talking about here, and Im just telling you what my gynecologist told me. But check with the doctor before anything, it could be some other type of wart (not the hpv-virus) or just a natural bump. It could be a rash. It could be so many things. But most likely, it is genital warts. Because those things spread sooooo easily.
...............................
|
