The above poster said HPV causes warts. My understanding has been that not all strains of it cause warts however, and in some people even the strains that cause warts won't cause them. The way my doctor described it, HPV generally causes warts, though it might stay latent on the body for years, so not everyone who has HPV will have warts. There might be strains that never cause warts. I haven't read that anywhere, but I might have just missed the information.
I strongly believe condoms are not as effective against STD's as we hav been led to believe. Though obviously a condom is a million times better than no protection, what I've been reading has led me to the conclusion that a number of STD's are not terribly difficult to transmittable even with a condom. I've had five partners in the three years since I became sexually active, and condoms were used with every single one, every time. I ended up with two STD's (though luckily nothing too serious). I'm willing to believe that condoms are relatively effective for what they cover and while they're covering it. But there are so many ways to share fluids outside of a condom. My warts are on my vulva and come in contact with the lowest part of my lovers' penises, the area around them (I don't know whether that has a name, but I almost called it the vulva!), and the scrotal area, as well as fingertips (if we don't use gloves, and we usually don't). Of my two primary lovers, the one with which I've had a fluid bond for 4 years doesn't use a dental dam with me, while the other one does. I'd already been involved with the first one for 3 years when I first noticed the warts (the doctor said they were just normal variances in skin texture, as mine aren't very typical), so he figures he's been exposed repeatedly and probably carries it.
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Date: 2002-04-24 09:33 am (UTC)I strongly believe condoms are not as effective against STD's as we hav been led to believe. Though obviously a condom is a million times better than no protection, what I've been reading has led me to the conclusion that a number of STD's are not terribly difficult to transmittable even with a condom. I've had five partners in the three years since I became sexually active, and condoms were used with every single one, every time. I ended up with two STD's (though luckily nothing too serious). I'm willing to believe that condoms are relatively effective for what they cover and while they're covering it. But there are so many ways to share fluids outside of a condom. My warts are on my vulva and come in contact with the lowest part of my lovers' penises, the area around them (I don't know whether that has a name, but I almost called it the vulva!), and the scrotal area, as well as fingertips (if we don't use gloves, and we usually don't). Of my two primary lovers, the one with which I've had a fluid bond for 4 years doesn't use a dental dam with me, while the other one does. I'd already been involved with the first one for 3 years when I first noticed the warts (the doctor said they were just normal variances in skin texture, as mine aren't very typical), so he figures he's been exposed repeatedly and probably carries it.