Genital Wart - Symptoms And Treatment

Definition

Genital warts are caused by a virus called human papilloma virus (HPV). There are more than 100 HPV present currently. And almost 30 of them are capable of causing genital warts. Genital warts may be small, flat, flesh-colored bumps or tiny, cauliflower-like bumps. In men, genital warts can grow on the penis, near the anus, or between the penis and the scrotum. In women, genital warts may grow on the vulva and perineal area, in the vagina and on the cervix. Rarely, genital warts also can develop in the mouth or throat of a person who has had oral sex with an infected person. Many people carry the wart virus on their penis, in and around the vagina, or in and around the anus/rectum. It is passed with skin to skin contact during anal or vaginal sex. The wart virus is very common in adults who are sexually active. Between 500,000 and one million new cases of genital warts occur every year in United States.

Causes

1. Genital warts are caused by HPV which is a sexually transmitted infection. The most common way to get HPV is by having oral, vaginal or anal sex with someone who has HPV. The only sure way to prevent genital warts is to not have sex.
2. The cause may be having sex with partner whose sexual story is not known to you.
3. If you are sexually active for quite sometime and have sex with more than one partner you have a lot of chances to have it in you.
4. Genital warts are also associated with use of birth control pills due to increased sexual contact without the use of barrier protection. These may be the cause too.

Symptoms

1. Like all other sexually transmitted diseases Genital warts do not cause or show any symptoms. These develop very slowly and are very difficult to identify.
2. However, in most of the cases small, hard spots which are easily visible to the eye can develop within three weeks to three months after exposure.
3. Men and women with genital warts will often complain of painless bumps, itching, and discharge.
4. Bleeding or urinary obstruction may be the initial problem when the wart involves the urethral opening. But it is very rare.
5. There may be genital warts on more than one part of body.

Treatment

1. Because the warts themselves are infectious, avoid touching them. Do not pick or squeeze the warts.
2. Avoid sex with more than one partner or should take care while sex. You can use condom. But it is not always useful because it does not cover all the skin from infection.
3. Salicylic acid: You can treat warts on places such as the hands, feet or knees by putting salicylic acid on the warts. To get good results, you must apply the acid every day for many weeks.
4. Cryotherapy: In this treatment the warts are made to freeze by applying Liquid nitrogen to warts.
5. The other treatments are cutting the wart or burning the wart. But these causes pain as well as leave a scar on body.