Medical Centric

GENITAL WARTS

Men's Health, Sexual Health, Women's Health / By

GENITAL WARTS

Genital warts are contagious soft growths that appear in the genital or anal area.

  • Genital warts are one of the most common types of sexually transmitted infection.
  • They generally are often flesh-colored and project out from the surface of the skin.
  • If several genital warts cluster together, they may resemble a cauliflower. In many cases, the warts are too small to be visible.
  • Genital warts affect both men and women, but women are more vulnerable to complications.
  • For a woman, they can appear on or near the vulva, cervix, inside of the vagina or anus, or outside of the vagina or anus while for a man, they can appear near or on the penis, scrotum, groin, thigh, and anus.
  • Genital warts are most dangerous for women because they can cause problems during pregnancy. Warts on the vaginal walls may reduce the ability of the vaginal tissue to stretch during childbirth.

CAUSES

Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are 30 to 40 different strains of HPV that affect the genitals, but just a few of these strains cause genital warts. The most common strain that causes HPV are highly transmissible

Without vaccination, nearly all sexually active people will get some HPV at one point in their lives but not all will lead to complications such as genital warts. In fact, in some cases, the virus goes away on its own without causing any health problems.

Genital warts are spread through sexual contacts. It is spread through skin-to-skin contact usually during anal, oral, or genital sex with an infected partner. It is estimated that 65% of people who has sexual contact with an infected person will become infected.

Genital warts may appear on the lips, tongue, mouth or throat of a person who has had oral sexual contact with an infected partner.

Warts can also spread to an infant during birth if the mother has genital warts

Certain risk factors that can increase the chance of getting the condition are:

  • Having unprotected sex with multiple partners
  • Oral sex
  • Having sexual intercourse with a partner whose sexual history is unknown to you]
  • A previous case of another sexually transmitted infection
  • Starting sexual relation at a young age

SYMPTOMS

Genital warts cause few symptoms. Symptoms typically appear one to eight month following exposure.

Symptoms may include:

  • Several warts that cluster together and take the shape of cauliflower
  • Small, flesh-colored swellings in the genitals
  • Pain, itching in the genital area
  • Bleeding during intercourse
  • Redness in the genital areas

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

The doctor will ask questions about symptoms, health, and sexual history.

The doctor will also perform a physical examination of any suspected areas where warts may be occurring

A special solution of mild acetic acid may be applied to the genitals to whiten any warts, a colposcope is then used to view them, this is done because genital warts sometimes are difficult to detect.

A biopsy may be taken for confirmation

TREATMENT

Treatment options help to reduce symptoms but do not cure the virus. There is no treatment for the virus itself

Medications, this is usually put on the skin and may be cream, ointment, resin or solution. This may include:

Imiquimod (Aldara, Zyclara), this cream help to boost the immune system in fighting genital warts

Podophyllin and podofilox, a plant based resin that destroys genital wart tissue.

Trichloroacetic acid (TCA), that burns off genital warts and can be used for internal warts

Sinecatechins (Veregen) used for external warts and warts in or around the anal canal.

Larger warts or warts that don’t respond to medications can be removed by surgery. Surgical options may include:

Cryosurgery (freezing with liquid nitrogen)

Electrocautery (Burning)

Laser treatments