Hi, long time on-and-off lurker here... looking for a little advice.

Me and my girlfriend have been together for a good few months now, and she's recently revealed to me that a couple of months before we got together, she was treated for genital warts.

In my opinion, she was very brave, to admit this to me, and the fact that she trusted me enough to tell me far outweighed the bad news! I think she was a little confused that I seemed so pleased about it, lol


Anyway, I've been reading up a little. I'm trawling through pages and pages of the same information we've all been fed since high school: a useful reminder, but not really quite the information I'm looking for. I guess some personal experiences might help me out a bit here.

Has anyone been in my boat before? Basically, as far as I know I have not contracted the virus, although you can fairly safely assume assume that it is a very real possibility!

How can I minimise potential risks? What early signs of problems should I look for?

Obviously, if I spot anything then I shall seek treatment immediately.

I realise this may well be an unappealling topic of conversation, and no-body reveals this kind of stuff about themselves without a little embarrasment. I think many of you may be surprised to know that most sexually active people will have aquired at least one form of the virus, and that most don't even know it. Crazy, huh? For all I know, I could have been carrying a similar virus myself and not know it. Food for thought, anyway.

Thanks in advance for all your advice and comments, I know from past experience that you guys are a lovely bunch -I'd have never posted such a sensitive question otherwise. Thanks a million

L

By the way, I already searched and found this:

http://www.pixies-place.com:81/foru...t=genital+warts

It's useful, but I already have the facts and my girlfriend has previously sought all the required treatments... I guess what I'm looking for is relation of other people's experiences, and how to minimise risk without affecting our wonderful sex life!

www.webmd.com has a lot of information that seems pretty comprehensive.

Sorry I can't offer much more help than that.

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Complete surrender should not just come at moments in which one faces overwhelming odds, but in the calm when it seems one is personally in complete control of one's life.

Try searching for a site called Talk Sex with Sue Jo, she has a show on the oxygen network and gives facts with a bit or reality mixed in. I just love her.

I do remember her sayin that a Female Condom may reduce your risk of exposure because of it's greater coverage of the female genetial area durring sex. Just my :cents:

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Definately, but it's a little impractical as a long term soloution -especially since neither one of us is very fond of using condoms together! Of course, we started out using them religiously, but when you get a few months into a long term relationship, the closeness afforded by unprotected sex becomes more important.

Thanks for the idea, though. I've got a feeling that there's not much more I can do than that, in which case I guess the focus ought to be upon detecting them early, huh?

Sue Johannsen does rock (and is a Canuck! )

Liam, I'm not too sure about genital warts. Can you both go to her doc and discuss matters? I may be mistaken but I think some warts may be contagious, others aren't.

yep, they, or at least some are contageous and they can cause big problems if left untreated. i would suggest using protection that would lessen exposure, avoid oral, wash well without anything that would scratch your skin, like a loofa. warts are viruses that live on all of us all the time. some we are immune to, some we are not. and they can spread more easily if they came in contact with damaged skin. they are also one of the only std's that i know of that can be picked up on toilet seats, underwear and similar things. the good news is almost all warts are treatable, so if you show symptoms, then get treatment asap. and as far as i know, you are just as likely to get a serious illness from genital warts as you are to get a skin disease from a plantars or other ones on the skin... as long as you get them treated.

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