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Question:
My boyfriend has genital warts. I'm afraid to do anything sexually with him because I'm not sure what kind of contact could infect me. For example, if I stimulate him by hand, whether or not warts are present, will I become infected because I exposed part of my skin to it? I know that any other sexual contact will require protection, but what about contact strictly by hand?
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Answer:
by Erin McKay: (01/30/2006)
Genital warts also known as the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) ARE spread though skin to skin contact. This is even possible with the use of a condom, as all infected areas may not be protected or visible. However, condoms do reduce this risk.
In answer to your question about the likelihood of infection via hand stimulation, it is less common, but possible. The virus can be transmitted via other types of genital contact besides intercourse. This includes oral-genital (oral sex), manual-genital (hand job), and genital-genital touching.
For example, in a recent study of college-aged women in Seattle, over a two year period 39% of sexually active women contracted the virus whereas only 8% of women who did not engage in penetrative vaginal intercourse contracted the virus. (Source: Report to Congress, Prevention of genital human papillomavirus infection. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2004.)
To stay on the safe side consider the following:
First, he can be treated though several methods to get rid of the warts, yet not the virus. This may reduce your likelihood of contracting the virus. It is possible for him to have them frozen off at a sexual health clinic or prescribed certain types of topical creams to eliminate them. Since these methods do not get rid of the virus, it is possible for them to come back or for the virus to remain active under the skin. Many varieties of HPV are not visible yet can be transmissible.
During oral sex on him use a condom. Condoms as well as lubricants come in a variety of different flavors these days.
Also, because certain strains of HPV can lead to cervical cancer, it is important for you to get regular pap smears at least once a year. This will ensure that if abnormal cells are present that they can be attended to as soon as possible.
And finally, it would help the situation if you both got tested for Sexually Transmitted Infections and remained sexually monogamous. This would ensure that if either of you has an STI that it will be known, and the risk of either of you contracting an STI from another partner can be reduced.
Reviewed by: Patricia Fawver Ph.D. in Sexology
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