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Disease & Conditions

Genital Warts

Quick Guide on Genital Warts

Genital Warts:

Also known as Condyloma, the genital wart is a sexually transmitted disease giving rise to wart shape bumps on the sexual organs. As the name suggests, genital warts are eruptions on the sex organs that are caused by transmitting of a virus during anal, vaginal or oral sex. Once the virus is passed, the bumps start appearing on the penis, in and around vagina or sometimes on the opening of the womb.

Most people who are infected by the genital wart virus are not even aware of it. This is because the virus is not strong enough to create any warts that can be seen on the surface of the penis. But in cases where the virus has a strong presence, it can be observed on the penile skin and passed from one body to another through skin contact during sexual activity.

In addition, rare possibilities of getting a genital wart by using an infected towel or from pregnant women to their babies also exist.

Prevention:

Experts have time and again stated that genital warts can be serious. In most cases they are painless but are definitely not appreciated on the sex organs or around them. Without a doubt, couples or individuals who are sexually active need to take more precautions than others to avoid genital warts altogether. In a few odd cases, women having a genital wart cervix eventually become prone to cancer.

As an ideal precautionary measure it is advisable to have a regular Pap smear test done by a clinical expert every six months on an average. This makes a person more secure, which is also beneficial to a great extent for the partner of that individual. The situation becomes all the more critical if one is pregnant and needs to be reported at the earliest. Using a condom while doing sex is not only an effective method of avoiding occurrence of genital warts but is also a good means of safe sex.

Cervical cancer may not be a prospective threat if you are not a chain smoker and believe in celibacy to some extent. Multiple sex partners, excessive smoking, sexual intercourse at an early age and a history of HIV infection are signs to be taken care of. A doctor can examine and trace any patches of genital warts by swabbing the skin with acetic acid. This results in formation of white patches on the defective skin.

Genital Wart Treatment:

Cyrotherapy is a good means of removing the warts by freezing them or by using a laser. However, you must realize that genital warts need to be distinguished from the warts that generally appear on the hands. Thus, using chemicals without any prescription can be dangerous for the genital skin.

Minor surgeries are a good option if the doctor has tried laser treatment and freezing. The duration of treatment depends on the degree and number of genital warts. If the virus is a relatively new entrant in the body then the treatment duration is comparatively less and otherwise it may take months to heal. If you have any queries in this regard then contact your doctor and avoid the build-up of these unwanted warts.

Even after the initial treatment is over, you cannot be sure that warts will not bother you again. This is due to the fact that the treatment only removes the genital warts, but does not remove the virus once you are exposed to it. The virus remains in the skin even after the treatment. It is therefore repeatedly recommended to use rubber condoms while doing sex, be it vaginal or anal.

Lindsay Fox writes on all wart types. More information available at hpv-genital-warts-pictures.com.