HPV diagnosis at 21 years old, Male - Mental distress, guilt, overthinking.
Hi
So as mentioned in the title, I'm a 21 year old male who got the diagnosis of peri- and intraanal Condylomata acuminata.
Since Gardasil wasn't an option in the country I lived in before moving to Germany, I only got the first and second shots of three last November 2025 and February 2026 respectively. But well... a bit too late, I guess.
In February I noticed a small spiky growth posterior to the anus (6h). I went to the proctologist and she said we gotta wait and see after a month, as it could be indeed an condyloma or just folliculitis or so. She performed an anoscopy and didn't notice any internal growths (although I did feel some questionable texture while performing a self test).
Well one month later: I have at least 4 new scattered external lesions (they're not raised or cauliflower like- yet. They're like dark, little flat moles. Only one in the perineal region is more raised and not colored, rather paler.
I went to the procrologist for the control and preformed the anoscopy again and this time she did see growths inside (perhaps what I had felt during my self inspections).
The point of this post is:
I (feel like I) damaged myself with something completely preventable (not having had such an active sex life, having been more careful, and having vaccinated earlier) and now I'm a risk to people i might meet in the future... if i even do. It is really frustrating and even ironic, me being a med student.
Although the HPV variants that cause warts are usually benign, given I'm sexually active (not lately since I noticed the growts tho), it is statistically more likely that I have a coinfection with at least one of the high risk variants. And that really scares me, given I've also intraanal growths which are harder to monitor, and treat.
(Fyi im not immunocompromised (HIV Neg))
That's it. I needed to vent and maybe hear advise.