Can RRP patients transmit HPV to uninfected sexual partners?
Answer by: Bettie M. Steinberg, Ph.D. Chief, Division of Otolaryngology Research LIJ Medical Center Associate Director and Chief Scientific Officer Institute for Medical Research at North Shore – LIJ “As most of you know, RRP is caused by one or more of the human papillomaviruses (HPVs). This is a large family of related viruses (more than 150 and still being discovered) that cause papillomas or warts on skin or mucous membranes. About 30 types infect mucous membranes like the mouth, throat or genital tract. Only two types usually cause RRP, types 6 and 11. These are the same types that cause “bumpy” (the scientific term is “exophytic” ) genital warts or condylomas in women, while many of the other HPV types (including HPV 16 that can rarely lead to cervical cancer) cause flat condylomas that are not easily seen. For some unknown reason, HPVs usually cause flat warts on genital tissues of men, so they are usually not detected. In the throats of both men and women (and kids), HPV 6/11 c
