Helping a friend overcome a diagnosis

[Wife of Bath]

Hello HT forum

I have a question. One of my friends has recently confessed to having a severe symptomatic case of HPV- it sounds like she has some serious genital warts.

She's embarrassed, of course, and doesn't want to seek care for the condition, but it sounds like they are really out of control.

Do you have any suggestions for how I can tactfully suggest she see a doctor?

Thanks!

 

[Garnate]

I. Won't. Go. I. Told. You. Already.

 

[Wife of Bath]

I. Won't. Go. I. Told. You. Already.

Shhh… these people can help you.

 

[Garnate]

Shhh… these people can help you.

It's not a problem if I can still find guys to go down on me. When the oral sex stops, I might go in. MAYBE.

 

[unregistered]

 

[Garnate]

If she has HPV, she really needs to see her Dr. Of course, she's an adult and she'll do what she wants.

I think the key in situations like this is just to stay supportive, be a friend who listens. Pushing anyone too hard rarely leads to results you want. Listen to her. If she opens up, you may have a great opening to gently suggest seeing her doctor. Gynecologists are able to help with this, to help her understand her symptoms, and to keep her as asymptomatic as possible.

I am not going in!!!

 

[snugglestruggle]

It's not that bad Bro

 

[Garnate]

I, personally, think she should have lots of unprotected cyber sex. Say, in a Personals ad here. Maybe add some whipped cream and go to town.

 

[SweetErika]

Have you offered to help her make the appointment, and go with her (if she'd like) for moral support?

You might also reinforce that HPV is highly contagious and something like 90% of women who have been sexually active are infected with at least one strain of HPV. It might help your friend to know that it's super common and something her provider sees in patients on a daily basis via abnormal cervical pap smears and warts.

Is your friend the type to respond to threats to her health, or does she avoid seeking treatment until conditions are absolutely intolerable or life-threatening? If she's the former, it might help to mention the possibility of cervical and other types of cancer and/or that the sooner she seeks treatment, the easier that treatment will be on her.

 

[Wife of Bath]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I'll definitely see if I can convince her.

 

[Garnate]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I'll definitely see if I can convince her.

You haven't.

 

[pete]

You haven't.

be proud of your g.w.'s !
embrace them, defend those little buggers!

have you named them all yet?

 

[Garnate]

be proud of your g.w.'s !
embrace them, defend those little buggers!

have you named them all yet?

Who has time for that??

 

[pete]

Who has time for that??

split them up into teams, at least.

 

[Garnate]

split them up into teams, at least.

You sick fuck

 

[silverwhisper]

so i guess this thread was a bit of a crash course on how HT differs from other forums here, huh?

ed

 

[DesEsseintes]

so i guess this thread was a bit of a crash course on how HT differs from other forums here, huh?

ed

People actually offering advice, you mean? Sincere advice? It was touching.

Funny and touching.

 

[unregistered]

 

[DesEsseintes]

I know! It's hilarious, right? GB family, take note, we do actually give advice in the HT.



Are your recent ventures into this forum your first? This is my Lit home.

How could you forget my pillow porn?

But pretty much, yes. <Looks around.> I like it. It's a Lit Hobbiton.

Whereas The Playground is Vegas. And the General Board is Mogadishu.

 

[unregistered]

 

[stickygirl]

Gandalf is responsible for bringing HPV to the Shire. Fact

 

[redzinger]

A fucking arsehole dickhead twat decided to take the condom off mid-root and gave me asymptomatic HPV a few years ago.

Instead of passing smear tests with insouciance, I've since had to have fucking procedures since to check it hasn't gone cancerous.

It's a PITA. I don't like bleeding at one time of the month, it's bloody horrible to be bleeding at another 'cos they've had to pinch some skin off. I'm having increasingly urgent letters to go in for another test for the same bloody thing and I am not looking forward to it.

The GP's response? "Oh, that's really common, don't worry about it." Apparently HPV is endemic, most people don't know they have it. It's a good thing HIV isn't as easy to catch, as half the people in this country would be infected by now.

Gah!


(It also hurts like f*ck as I have a hip problem and those stirrups are hell. Plus I've had enough of the medical fraternity due to them not fixing the hip problem.)

*end of rant*


HPV is supposed to be just a minor inconvenience, we're told. That doesn't help when it's the first and only STD you've had. Is there a clinic she would prefer to go to?