What are your chances of contracting genital warts from a partner and how can you find out when and who infected you?

  • If your partner has visible warts at the present time, it is highly possible that you will become infected (60-70%) because a large viral load is transmitted during each sexual contact.
  • If your partner has had genital warts recently, and it is less than 6 months since they were treated, it is possible that you will become infected, because there are still lesions that are not visible to the naked eye. These lesions slowly subside on their own, usually within the next 6-12 months, but in some cases remain for 2-3 years.
  • There is always a chance of becoming infectious again because of a recurrence of an old infection from HPV. No one can know exactly when this might happen. However, the more time passes since treatment of the last wart, the less infectious one is considered.
  • If at this time an old infection of your partner has recurred and their lesions are not visible, they may be transmitting their infection to you without either of you being aware of it.

From the above it is clear that you cannot accurately know when and who infected you.