Can an hpv strand that causes cervical cancer evolve into a strand that causes the genital warts?
No, low risk HPV types can’t morph into high risk HPV types. Most visible warts are of a low risk HPV types. That said people that have a visible genital wart infection can also carry a co-infection with high risk HPV types. They are over 30 high and low risk HPV types that can affect the genital area. Many people carry multiple HPV types. Once you have an HPV type you can’t get it again but our acquired HPV type can reactivate years after the initial infection. We can also acquire new HPV types with a new sex partner. Your past HPV test and Pap confirmed that you tested positive for abnormal cervical cell changes and high risk HPV types. The only FDA approved HPV test only screens for high risk HPV types of the cervix. Neither the Pap nor the HPV test includes cells of the vulva. Abnormal cells can take years to form or and they can regress. The HPV test looks at units of the virus per cell when the virus is in low viral load it will not show in any test. Warts of the hand and feet ar
