I tweeted this a couple of weeks ago…
So while I don’t have an update yet (thanks to HMO’s, I’m having to wait a while to get a referral authorized), thought a bit more detail would be good.
First off, while it’s admittedly likely it was sexually passed, it’s not for certain. The wart is not in the typical HPV locations (usually genitals, anus, or inside of the mouth)… it’s actually around my mouth, on my face, not inside. It’s very small, so most people think it’s just a pimple–even I thought it was until I noticed it wasn’t going away and a doctor told me otherwise. And no, I have not been sucking dick on other guys, nor had them cum on my face. I have kissed a few (though not that many, nor for that long), so I honestly don’t know what to think of it.
And in terms of STDs, this is a pretty mild one. Many people show no symptoms at all, so it’s possible you could have it now and not know it. The most typical symptom is warts, and they can appear anywhere from 3 to 24 months after infection, so it’s nearly impossible to detect where it actually came from. If you have a compromised immune system it’s possible things can get worse.
The most difficult part of this is navigating my husband. While he does know I meet others, I knew this information could directly affect our relationship, because now I can (and likely already have) infect him. And naturally he’s not happy about it, but he’s understandable. As far as we know, he has no symptoms, but as mentioned earlier, it can take months to 2 years before (and even if!) anything manifests. But he wants to be cautious, so we no longer share straws on soft drinks, or kiss on the lips goodnight. It’s a bummer, but it could be worse. Also, he’s just urged me to be extra cautious in any future meets until a dermatologist gives us a final diagnosis. And I agree… if I were playing with someone possibly infected, I’d want to know as well. And if I end up losing a few meets because they’re not comfortable with that, I can’t really complain.
HPV is apparently very, very common. But I still wanted to mention it because I feel it’s rare that I hear on kinky social media, “I had a great meet, but now I have an STD.” It rarely seems to come up, and it surely must happen in a world where so many meet… well, so many. And all elements (and consequences) of sexual play need to be de-stigmatized.
