Q: My partner of two years had HPV. We have just ended the relationship. He recently read about elevated incident of throat cancer in relation to HPV. We could not tell if that was for partners. We engaged in unprotected oral sex — he receiving.
I recently had a normal pap smear, which included HPV testing. We rarely engaged in penile/vaginal sex, and only once (accidentally) without a condom. My primary exposure to his HPV was oral.
I have no health insurance, so I am being judicious about this — is it indicated I should go for testing of my throat? What is the name of the test I want?
A: The research on HPV is very new so there is a lot of information and studies that are still missing. What we do know is that cancer is only caused by a few of the hundreds of possible strains of HPV. A doctor or dentist can do a visual test to see if there are any HPV lesions in your throat. We recommend regular visits to the dentist because they are trained to detect any abnormalities in the mouth and throat, including those from sexually transmitted diseases. At this time there are only visual tests for HPV in the throat, and it is difficult to detect if there are no lesions present.
For more information on HPV you can call the American Social Health Association (ASHA) at 1 (800) 227-8922 Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm EST or The Center for Disease Control’s STD 24 hour hotline at 1(800) 342-2437.
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Question.
I just saw the question regarding having HPV exposure in the throat. My partner got just for several sexual diseases before we get truly physical. He has had several partners in the year I have not been with anyone for 3 years. Two weeks ago I did have oral sex without fluid and now I am noticing that my throat is sore and under my jaw is swollen on one side. I realize that this is probably just freaking out. However, he told me that there is no HPV test for men is that true?
HPV tests are conducted by taking a tissue sample. The most common type of HPV test is from a PAP smear performed on a woman’s cervix. It is possible you could find a doctor who would be willing to take a tissue sample of your throat and get it tested, if they accept the possibility of risk in your case.
We prefer to answer questions via email. Please write to us if you have more questions about HPV. We are not medical professionals and cannot diagnose you. If you are concerned you have an STD in your throat you should get checked right away. As shown in this chart there could be one of several possible infections.
http://www.dph.sf.ca.us/sfcityclinic/stdbasics/stdchart.asp
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