Tweet
Genital Warts
Genital warts, sometimes called venereal warts, are contracted through sexual contact. They're spread by direct, skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected person. (Infants can be infected by their mothers during birth, but this is rare.)
Genital warts are caused by certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). But other common types of HPV that cause warts on the hands and the soles of the feet do not cause genital warts.
Genital HPV infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the world. In fact, scientists estimate that as many as 6 million new cases of genital warts are diagnosed in the United States each year.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
Genital warts:
are growths or bumps that appear in and around the vagina or anus or on the cervix in females or on the penis, scrotum, groin, or thigh in males
can be raised or flat, single or multiple, or small or large
can cluster together to form a cauliflower-like shape
are usually flesh-colored and painless
One difficulty with genital HPV exposure is that it may take several months or years after infection for symptoms to appear - if there are even symptoms at all. The average incubation period is 1 to 6 months, but this can vary. Sometimes, the warts are so small and flat that they may not be noticed immediately.
In women, HPV can invade the vagina and cervix. These warts may be flat and invisible. Because the virus can lead to changes in the cervix that may lead to cancer, it's important that this condition is diagnosed and treated. Men infected with HPV can also be at risk for cancer of the penis and the anus. But not all genital warts caused by HPV lead to cancer - approximately 10 to 15 of the 30 or more genital HPV types can cause the development of cancer.
Are They Contagious?
Genital warts are transmitted through sexual contact with an infected person. HPV can be contracted via anal, oral, and vaginal intercourse, and warts can appear within several weeks or months after sexual relations.
The virus is passed through skin-to-skin contact, but not everyone who's been exposed to the virus will develop genital warts. About two thirds of those who have sexual contact with an infected person will contract HPV.
More than 100 types of HPV have been identified; approximately one third of those are spread through sexual contact and live only in the genital tissue.
Can They Be Prevented?
Like most STDs, genital warts can be avoided by not having sex or by having sex only with one uninfected partner.
Condoms offer some protection against genital warts, but they can't completely prevent them because the warts can be outside of the area protected by the condom. Spermicidal foams, creams, and jellies have not been proven to protect against HPV and genital warts.
How Are They Treated?
Most genital warts require two or more professional treatments. However, there's no cure for an HPV infection because treatment just removes the genital warts it causes.
The various therapies available for genital warts include:
putting prescription medications on the warts
freezing the warts with liquid nitrogen (called cryosurgery)
using laser treatment
There are some chemical creams that can be used at home to treat genital warts, but you should ask your child's doctor which one to use. If your teen is sexually active, it's also important to discuss the different approaches with his or her doctor because some of these treatments shouldn't be used during pregnancy.
Because the HPV remains dormant in the body, genital warts may reappear at any time after treatment. Those who have had one occurrence of genital warts should be aware that they still carry the virus and can infect others. Women need to be especially careful - warts can invade the vagina and cervix, resulting in increased risk of more serious diseases.
Genital warts, sometimes called venereal warts, are contracted through sexual contact. They're spread by direct, skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected person. (Infants can be infected by their mothers during birth, but this is rare.)
Genital warts are caused by certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). But other common types of HPV that cause warts on the hands and the soles of the feet do not cause genital warts.
Genital HPV infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the world. In fact, scientists estimate that as many as 6 million new cases of genital warts are diagnosed in the United States each year.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
Genital warts:
are growths or bumps that appear in and around the vagina or anus or on the cervix in females or on the penis, scrotum, groin, or thigh in males
can be raised or flat, single or multiple, or small or large
can cluster together to form a cauliflower-like shape
are usually flesh-colored and painless
One difficulty with genital HPV exposure is that it may take several months or years after infection for symptoms to appear - if there are even symptoms at all. The average incubation period is 1 to 6 months, but this can vary. Sometimes, the warts are so small and flat that they may not be noticed immediately.
In women, HPV can invade the vagina and cervix. These warts may be flat and invisible. Because the virus can lead to changes in the cervix that may lead to cancer, it's important that this condition is diagnosed and treated. Men infected with HPV can also be at risk for cancer of the penis and the anus. But not all genital warts caused by HPV lead to cancer - approximately 10 to 15 of the 30 or more genital HPV types can cause the development of cancer.
Are They Contagious?
Genital warts are transmitted through sexual contact with an infected person. HPV can be contracted via anal, oral, and vaginal intercourse, and warts can appear within several weeks or months after sexual relations.
The virus is passed through skin-to-skin contact, but not everyone who's been exposed to the virus will develop genital warts. About two thirds of those who have sexual contact with an infected person will contract HPV.
More than 100 types of HPV have been identified; approximately one third of those are spread through sexual contact and live only in the genital tissue.
Can They Be Prevented?
Like most STDs, genital warts can be avoided by not having sex or by having sex only with one uninfected partner.
Condoms offer some protection against genital warts, but they can't completely prevent them because the warts can be outside of the area protected by the condom. Spermicidal foams, creams, and jellies have not been proven to protect against HPV and genital warts.
How Are They Treated?
Most genital warts require two or more professional treatments. However, there's no cure for an HPV infection because treatment just removes the genital warts it causes.
The various therapies available for genital warts include:
putting prescription medications on the warts
freezing the warts with liquid nitrogen (called cryosurgery)
using laser treatment
There are some chemical creams that can be used at home to treat genital warts, but you should ask your child's doctor which one to use. If your teen is sexually active, it's also important to discuss the different approaches with his or her doctor because some of these treatments shouldn't be used during pregnancy.
Because the HPV remains dormant in the body, genital warts may reappear at any time after treatment. Those who have had one occurrence of genital warts should be aware that they still carry the virus and can infect others. Women need to be especially careful - warts can invade the vagina and cervix, resulting in increased risk of more serious diseases.
Comment