I’m 22 years old and about a month ago I had an abnormal pap smear that suggests low grade cell changes and/or a case of mild dysplasia. I go in for a colcoscopy on Monday to confirm one way or the other. I don’t have any symptoms like warts or anything like that. My doctors have assured me that this is very common and will likely clear on its own and that there is no chance of reinfection if I continue on with my partner.
After my partner and I had been dating for about a year, he got a call from his ex letting him know that she had an abnormal pap as well. We had hoped that she got it from her new boyfriend, but we knew it was possible it could be him. Now with my abnormal pap, it seems pretty clear that he was the carrier (especially clear since he’s my first sexually active partner). This is fine. I’m not upset with him. However, it seems that a lot of the literature out there aims itself at monogamous couples. Which we are not.
My partner and I have an open relationship. And I’m especially concerned about keeping this contained as much as possible. Should we try and close our circle of sexual contacts for a while? In a monogamous relationship, it’s almost bound to disappear, but with multiple partners, it has the capability to keep getting passed on to such and such degrees. I think it’s safe to say that they’ve all been exposed by now…but what precautions should we take?
My other big concern is some mixed research I’m getting. Some articles seem to indicate that there is a high risk of partners being infected orally with HPV which can cause throat cancers, if they give oral sex to someone with HPV. My partner is an opera singer and vocal instructor and I want to pay special attention to not endangering his throat with anything. I mean we just have a relationship where if I have a cold, he’s hands off until I’m better. But…if I’m giving him oral and then making out with him…would ceasing to receive oral even make sense? How can I be effectively cautious about this? But then some research seems to indicate that the risk regarding this is incredibly low, in which case we would continue on as normal?
I have managed to be very bold-faced about all this and I thought I was calm, but I could feel the tension in my jaw last night which tells me that I’m more nervous than I think I am. I’m not very concerned about me clearing this out of my system within two years or so, I’m just worried about being responsible with all my partners and my partners partners.
After my partner and I had been dating for about a year, he got a call from his ex letting him know that she had an abnormal pap as well. We had hoped that she got it from her new boyfriend, but we knew it was possible it could be him. Now with my abnormal pap, it seems pretty clear that he was the carrier (especially clear since he’s my first sexually active partner). This is fine. I’m not upset with him. However, it seems that a lot of the literature out there aims itself at monogamous couples. Which we are not.
My partner and I have an open relationship. And I’m especially concerned about keeping this contained as much as possible. Should we try and close our circle of sexual contacts for a while? In a monogamous relationship, it’s almost bound to disappear, but with multiple partners, it has the capability to keep getting passed on to such and such degrees. I think it’s safe to say that they’ve all been exposed by now…but what precautions should we take?
My other big concern is some mixed research I’m getting. Some articles seem to indicate that there is a high risk of partners being infected orally with HPV which can cause throat cancers, if they give oral sex to someone with HPV. My partner is an opera singer and vocal instructor and I want to pay special attention to not endangering his throat with anything. I mean we just have a relationship where if I have a cold, he’s hands off until I’m better. But…if I’m giving him oral and then making out with him…would ceasing to receive oral even make sense? How can I be effectively cautious about this? But then some research seems to indicate that the risk regarding this is incredibly low, in which case we would continue on as normal?
I have managed to be very bold-faced about all this and I thought I was calm, but I could feel the tension in my jaw last night which tells me that I’m more nervous than I think I am. I’m not very concerned about me clearing this out of my system within two years or so, I’m just worried about being responsible with all my partners and my partners partners.
