Should one be worried about HPV after sex with a sex worker?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 29-years-old male. I had intercourse with a female sex worker five years ago. Since then I do not have any sex with any one. Now I am getting married in a few months. So I took a pre-marital checkup and the result was nil and non-reactive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1 and 2, hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B (HBS), chlamydia, and syphilis. But I am worried about human papilloma virus (HPV). I did not get any warts but still, I am afraid. Are there any risk of HPV related cancers for me or my partner?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com. I have gone through your query. Presently there are no tests to confirm HPV (human papillomavirus) infection in males. Warts can develop even years after the infection is acquired, therefore it is never really possible to know whether you are infected or not unless you develop a clinically visible lesion. Since you never had any visible growths or warts on the genitalia during all these years, therefore, it is likely that you are free of infection and never even acquired it in the first instance. Regarding the risk of cancer, only certain types of HPV (e.g) HPV type 6, 11, 16, and 18 are associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer in females, and not in males. In females, PAP (Papanicolaou) smear can be performed every year to look for any atypical cells. I think you can go ahead with your marriage without any fears at this time because there is no way you can even know whether you are infected or not.