Facts About Genital Warts

The , also known as genital warts or venereal warts genital warts is a highly contagious sexually transmitted infection . It is spread during oral , genital or anal sex with an infected partner. Genital warts are the most easily recognized sign of genital HPV infection . Genital warts often occur in clusters and can be very tiny or can spread into large masses in the genital or anal area. In women, the warts occur on the outside and inside of the vagina , cervix , uterus, or around the anus. While genital warts are almost as common in men , symptoms may be less obvious. When present, they are usually seen on the tip of the penis. Can also be found in the body of the penis , scrotum and around the anus . Rarely , genital warts also can develop in the mouth or throat of a person who has had oral sex with an infected person. Genital warts often disappear even without treatment. In other cases, they may develop a small fleshy growth that looks like wadi . There is no way to predict whether the warts will grow or disappear . So if you think you have genital warts, you need to be examined and treated if necessary. Depending on factors such as the size and location of genital warts , the doctor will give you one of several ways to treat them . * Imiquimod , a topical immune response cream which can be applied to the affected area * A 20% podophyllin anti- mitotic solution , which can be applied to the affected area and subsequent washing * A 0.5 % podofilox solution , applied to the affected area, but not to wash * A 5 - fluorouracil 5 % (5 -FU ) cream * The trichloroacetic acid ( TCA) * Pulsed dye laser * Cryosurgery Liquid nitrogen If you are pregnant , you should not use podophyllin or podofilox because they are absorbed by the skin and may cause birth defects in your baby. Also, you should not use 5-fluorouracil cream if you are trying to get pregnant or if there is a chance you might be pregnant. If you have small warts , the doctor can remove them by freezing , burning or laser treatment . Sometimes the doctor will use surgery to remove large warts that have not responded to other treatments. Some doctors use the antiviral interferon -alpha , which inject drugs directly into the warts , to treat warts that have returned after removal by traditional means. The drug is expensive, however, and does not reduce the rate at which re genital warts. Although treatments can get rid of warts , not get rid of the HPV virus , so warts can recur after treatment . However, the body's immune system typically clears the virus from 6 months to a year . There is even some suggestion that effective wart treatment may facilitate the body's immune response . The virus that causes genital warts are transmitted by skin to skin contact . Condoms do not adequately protect against genital warts, because the infected area can be covered by a condom. The only sure prevention is not to have skin contact with potentially infected tissues. Gardasil, a vaccine effective against HPV , is currently in Phase III clinical trials and looks almost 100 % effective against the most common types . This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. If you or someone you know has genital warts, consult your physician for the latest treatment options available .