Hi.
A few months ago, I had cryotherapy for anogenital warts and the warts are gone (forever hopefully).
But then, I have been reading about HPV and warts. And I’m in a bind.
Is it possible for me to now ever have any form of sex? Because from my research, HPV takes a while to clear out of the body and I have a compromised immune system, which makes it a little more difficult, as condoms are said to have very little mitigating effect as regards this particular virus because of the skin to skin mode of transmission.
What is the next step for me?
Please I need a medical professional’s advice or really that of anyone who knows this stuff.
Submitted by Deaton
Don’t be so worried about it, a vast majority of people who are sexually active have the virus but most don’t go on to develop warts. A weakened immune system might predispose one to developing the warts. So you can have sex
Dear simba,
Will love to have ur contact. Am in Abuja and will like to be in touch with a queer friendly doctor
All men who have receptive anal sex are predisposed to anal cancer, that’s true. But epidemiologically, a person who’s had genital warts stands at a much higher risk for anal cancer than other MSM who haven’t had. In fact it is much higher in HIV positive individuals.
It’s a common misconception that the strain that causes genital warts never causes cancer. Truly, Serotypes 6 and 11 responsible for almost 90% of all genital warts rarely cause cancer. “Rarely” but not “never”. In fact, it is even more likely to cause cancer in immunocompromised individuals.
Furthermore, the genital warts can be a foci for anal cancer (at the microscopic level) even if they have been eradicated. That’s why an anal pap smear is recommended for all HIV positive individuals with genital warts. Yes I understand that this is Nigeria and getting an anal pap smear might be challenging but the doctor who treated your warts should have done it.
In any case, you can technically walk up to a doctor, give him the history of genital warts and ask for an anal pap smear after all the Hippocratic Oath says you’d not allow religion, party politics, sexual orientation, etc to interfere between you and treating the patient.
It’s the same vaccine given to women that are given to men. The vaccine is available in Nigeria (not readily so) and expensive but it’s actually available. A guy I know has received it.
Gammora?? Hahahaha!!! I can understand why you’d be misled. Short answer, it’s a hoax please. It’s no different from the traditional ARVs.
Finally, I said the best thing is to avoid sex. I said that based on your medical history and the peculiarities of our country. I also said if you should have sex, always use a condom (which I’m sure you already do). And when you do, avoid a BJ if you can. You’re are also at risk of Oral cancers, Oesophageal and Laryngeal Cancers too.
Lest I forget, I am not one to dictate to you how to lead your life or when and how you should have sex. I can only give an advice from a medical perspective. Being at risk of a disease doesn’t mean you’d come down with it. Just means there’s a high chance…
Last last, you go dey alright. All the very best!!!
I know its almost impossible to avoid it, except of course you’ve had the vaccine.
You know there are strains of it, two in particular cause warts and another two cause cancer.
So it’s possible to have either and they remain dormant?(no symptoms or manifestations)
One can never not have “skin to skin” contact during sex, even with condoms as certain areas aren’t covered.
What’s the guarantee that I don’t pick up another strain that f**ks things up or perhaps the one that causes cancer?
Most certainly. We are here for one another.
So what’s the guarantee that I don’t pick up another strain that fucks me up or puts me at risk of cancer?
Condoms offer little or no protection
Yes, there’s a clinic in Lagos that I use.
I’ll send the address to PP, you can get it from him.
I don’t have a phone number tho.
But they have specific days they give cryo, it happens about four times a month, they should have two sessions between now and next week and the other two, the last week of the month.
I’m not sure of the particular dates.
Hello Simba, I live in Abuja. it would be good to have your contact details, as I do not know of any Queer friendly health practitioner here in Abuja. Many thanks.
Alright, thanks alot
Hello Q, send me an email at kitodiaries@gmail.com so I can relay the information to you.
Thank you.
Can I get your email address from PP, if you don’t mind?
Wow.
Thanks for this.
My final question.
Am I a risk to others?(Through any form of sex)
Hello Tandel,
There’s an LGBT-friendly clinic operated in conjunction with TIERs at Mgbuoba. Was there last week and their services were really smooth and professional. Free too
Do you mean a queer friendly physician? Because any doctor can help with the treatment of anal warts not just the ones in Abuja and Lagos. There are lots of treatment options available and it will depend on your choice of therapy.
Thanks a lot Leo, can I get the name of the clinic or is it quite popular at mgbuoba?
Unfortunately, no. I don’t think there’s a signpost advertising the place. However, it’s the street almost directly opposite Nepa office at Mgbuoba. I wouldn’t mind taking you there myself sometime though.
You’ve been so helpful, I do appreciate. Please can I get your mail from PP? Or PP can inbox you my mail
Hiv positive.
This is Nigeria.
Anal Pap smear isn’t exactly something you can walk into any clinic for.
Vaccines against HPV aren’t available for men, my doctor was talking about working with other queer friendly doctors to get it into thr country but because it has to be kept at a certain temperature and all the bureaucracy involved, it’s been difficult..
The strain that causes cancer isn’t the same that causes genital warts besides all men who have receptive anal sex are predisposed to the cancer.
Grateful for Gammora, hopefully it gets approved and becomes available in Nigeria, that takes away the HIV aspect and the immune system can focus primarily on the HPV.
So you’re saying the only way forward is to avoid anal sex forever and find something else? Being that tops and btms can be carriers of the virus.
Please simba would love to see a doctor or will I say have a doctor here in Abuja that I can discuss health issues.
I had warts. Treated it, all thanks to a friend who I was able to open up to. I visted him from Abuja to Lagos because I don’t know which doc to see around Abuja.
Recently been having kinda itching in the anus again.
And I remembered the doctor talked about checking up but I can’t be traveling all the time from Abuja to Lagos
So how do you locate it?
Hello simba
I really wish I could talk to you now of all time please your contact it’s depressing
Hi, if u live in Abj.. there is a great chance I was ur physician, as I was practically the only Dr that did cryotherapy. U can have sex, if u think u have healed. But if the warts are in-situ, u will still feel pains and possible bleeding as that cryotherapy is not used on soft tissues.
Therefore, have sex and live ur life. You can never get rid of HPV, we all have it just not symptomatic and probably not same strain as urs.
You can but depending on your position, you or your partner should use a condom. HPV is a lifelong virus.
Plus, do you know your status because warts more often than not appear in immuno-deficient people?
I have warts now but I am told I can only get a physician in Lagos or Abuja, can someone give contacts in both places depending on where I am able to go so that I can go there
P. S I have an HIV positive diagnosis
Help anyone?
Hello PP, can anyone here recommend any lgbt friendly clinic in portharcourt and address where one can go for free HIV vaccines and std treatments.
What do you mean you have “a compromised immune system”? Are you HIV positive or do you perhaps have a chronic medical condition that results in an immunocompromised state? The best advice is to avoid receptive anal sex for the rest of your life. You are already at a 10-30% increased risk of developing anal cancer; and with your “compromised immune system”, it can only be higher. Cryotherapy does very little to eliminate the virus and simply works on the cosmesis of the disfiguring condition, thus recurrence is likely. Condom reduces the risk of a re-infection or a superimposed infection with a different strain of the virus but only by a small percentage as the condom does not cover the scrotum (and there’s contact between the scrotum of your partner and your peri-anal skin).
I’d suggest that if you must have sex, use a condom and go for at least yearly checkups that will require you to do an anal pap smear +/- anal copolscopy. All the very best!
Without condoms, Yes if you are the penetrating partner; less so if you are receiving. With condoms, much less risky