HPV is not incurable. By meds, yes, but your body can work it out if you have a strong immune system. A body with a strong immune system has a 90% chance of completely curing themselves of it after about 2 years time, with no meds of any kind.

Please do inform people. People with the STD sure won't and they will often lie if asked. Just human nature we want people to like us not run for the hills.
I got genital warts from a girl who said i should use a condom but didn't. She wasn't really being dishonest just not telling the whole truth. I did not pass it on to any of my other girlfriends because I always used pertection. I also didn't tell any of them. (i know that was very dishonest and still feel bad about it today) One thing about genital warts is they are curable and there are vaccines for girls. I was lucky enough to get rid of them and I haven't had one sinse.
Herpes on the other hand are not curable and people at std clinics said there is no test for it. My last girlfriend had herpes and never told me. She only slipped it out because she continuously talked about her exboyfriend who she is back with. And no I don't have herpes because I never slept with her. Dodged a bullet there. Who would of thought taking things slow and seeing if we really had a bond would pay off. Thankyou God.

Dear Alice,

A little over one year ago, I was diagnosed with genital warts. I was prescribed Condylox, which I applied to the affected areas. Eventually, I decided that the treatment caused me more discomfort than the warts themselves, so I stopped using it. They have since then slowly disappeared. Have they really disappeared? Or are they "dormant," "asymptomatic," etc.? Can I have unprotected sex with my girlfriend without putting her at risk?

—Optimistic in Chicago



Dear Optimistic,

Your conscientiousness about protecting your partner's health is laudable. It's unfortunate there's such stigma associated with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) — fear and shame are less helpful than open communication and informed choices in preventing the spread of STIs.

Unfortunately, a simple yes or no answer to whether you can pass warts to your partner isn't in the cards; there's no way to know for sure whether your system has cleared the virus, or if the virus is simply lying dormant but may become active again at some point. Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can be treated with medication but may become intermittently active and inactive for reasons that still aren't clearly understood. Often the virus is asymptomatic, so people don't know they have it, and it often goes away (or becomes inactive) on its own. Unfortunately, the virus's activity level can't always be determined by the human eye, especially because it can affect you internally as well as externally.

To make things more confusing, there are multiple strains of HPV. Even if your partner already has HPV, you may have a different strain of the virus, and therefore could infect her with a form she doesn't have. This is important because certain strains of HPV are associated with cervical cancer. The strains that cause warts aren't associated with cancer; other strains (that often have no external symptoms) are more closely linked with pre-cancerous and cancerous growths on the cervix.

In 2006, a vaccine was released that protects women against the two main strains of HPV that cause genital warts and the two strains that most often cause cervical cancer. For more information see HPV vaccine. The vaccine doesn't cure HPV, and it won't work if someone has already been exposed to the strains of the virus in the vaccine, but your partner could ask her health care provider to see if it might be appropriate for her (currently the vaccine is only approved for women). If she a Columbia student, she can schedule an appointment by calling x4-2284 or by logging into Open Communicator.

If you have visible warts, the safest way to prevent transmission is to avoid sexual contact around the areas with warts. Using latex barriers (condoms and dental dams) can reduce the risk of transmitting infection, but doesn't eliminate it entirely because HPV can be present on parts of skin not covered by a condom or dam. Given the uncertainty around whether HPV has cleared from your system or is simply inactive, you and your partner will have to come to an agreement about what kind of risk you are comfortable with. As part of this process, you could experiment with different kinds of condoms — textures, colors, flavors — and make it a fun experience each time you put one on. HPV can be dangerous, but often goes away on its own without causing any damage. Again, compliments to you for your concern about your own health and your partner's.

I currently know at least 4 people that have herpes. And being that most of them all hang out at the same place where everyone kind of sleeps with each other

I'm not sure where you got your information... Genital HPV is a virus. Your symptoms may eventually go away, but you're still a carrier of the virus. No different than genital herpes

His information is not all that wrong.

We get a lot of viruses: the flu, common cold etc. The immune system handles them for the most part and prevents you from transmitting the virus to others.
Unless you think that anybody who has ever had the flu is always contagious....

I am not sure what it is about herpes that has otherwise informed rational adults running and screaming "cooties!!!!" And for the record, I don't want it, it just seems like the herpes hysterics are far out of proportion.

One of my dearest friends recently disclosed to me that he had herpes. He and his wife were best friends with my ex-hubby and I for over 15 years before they divorced and then we did shortly after.

Anyway, he told me they both had it and he gave it to her before they were married in the early 80's. He said they suffered some months so bad that they could hardly walk.

I was disgusted because I know they went through a period in their life when they had hoped to salvage their marriage by putting some spice into it and started swinging...course that back fired but the point is I asked him if he told any of the people he was swinging with if they had herpes and he said no...they never had sex when they were infected. I was dumfounded by this very educated mans stupidity.

He has dated on and off and had sex with many women since their divorce....still he told me...he never disclosed it and the one relationship he had for a long term he never told her either. Just said when he was broken out he told her he bent his penis so he couldn't have sex.

Freaking idiot!

What really pissed me off was that he actually asked me last year if we could be friends with benefits because he always thought I was hot. I asked him if he had any intention of telling me before having sex had I agreed to it...he said no. He told me the only reason he told me was that we were having a discussion about STD's and it just kinda came out....he knew I wasn't going to bed him down so WTF.

So, to answer your question....Please tell your friends that they need ask direct questions and never assume someone does not have herpes. I don't want that freaking disease. If I get it, I wont be devasted, but it is one more hassel that I don't want to deal with in my life if I don't have to.

Just to let you know he wanted to date a good friend of mine. I told her he had herpes and she declined to date him because of it. Turns out she has herpes too but she was pissed that he goes around having sex without informing others...and that's how she got it because some idiot didn't give her the choice.

So yea, if you are a friend of mine...I am telling you to be aware and ask questions.

Oh yea, and I am open to letting my friends who have it know that I will say something if they are dating a friend of mine....no back dooring my friends...not those who have it or don't.

But the question here is WHO'S responsibility is it to inform and give fair warning?

condoms, male or female, may help protect against herpes, but thats not the point here.... obviously the person the OP is questioning about KNOWS they have herpes, they still sleep around, and don't tell the person(s) they're sleeping with they have it.... the OP knows they have herpes, and is wondering if they're doing the right thing by telling the infected moron's possible one-nighter the moron has herpes.... yall are taking the question completely out of context, and spinning it into something else....

yes condoms can reduce the risk, but someone who's infected not telling the person they're screwing.... thats just pathetic.... said infectee might be aware of what herpes is doing to them, but the people they've given it to... have no clue, and unfortunately, I'm sure most of them don't get tested regularly... if it'd even show up right away.... I'd go on a rampage if I found out I slept with someone who knew they had herpes, or any other STI for that matter..... I would make sure they die a slow and painful death....

I will give you your due that you are trying to protect your friends but put yourself in the carriers position how would you feel if someone you new informed people of somthing personal about you against your will? im going out on a limb here but im thinking you wouldnt be too pleased.

If the condition you were talking about was something that was harmful to the person in question then i wud say that maybe there would be cause to intervene however as herpes does not pose any threat to the body i dont see why you need to involve yourself.

Hope you now realise that herpes is not a big a deal as you are making it out to be and i think your friends who have this wud appriciate ur discression on this matter. x

Returning to the OP... well good lord, there's no need to say anything. If all the safe sex education has not had any impact by now ("everyone kind of sleeps with each other"), then screaming "HERPES!" isn't going to make much of a difference, is it? I'd certainly tell an innocent/unsuspecting friend, but no need to waste your breath on this crowd.

yes you may be violating infected persons personal bubble, but look at what they'd be doing to the person they "forgot" to say something to.... I'd take the lesser of two evils....

I think I have my answers. Thank you all for your input.