Genital warts

Does having warts mean I am more infectious?

My partner has HPV somewhere in the background according to a smear result, but no warts. I have warts. Am I the dangerous one in this pairing?

first_frost 3 months ago

NoteMember experience, not medical advice. Symptoms overlap between infections and only a test can tell them apart.

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salt_marsh 3 months ago

Visible warts do generally mean more virus present at that site, so yes, transmission is thought to be more likely when lesions are present than when they are not.

But the framing of dangerous is not useful here. These are extremely common viruses and most people acquire some type at some point.

evening_ferry 3 months ago

Worth noting the types are usually different. The types that cause visible warts are generally not the ones screening programmes are looking for on a smear. So the two of you may well be carrying different things entirely.

quietkettle 3 months ago

Treating the warts reduces visible lesions. It does not reliably clear the virus, which is why the transmission conversation does not fully close when the warts do.

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