Characteristics of Genital Warts
Genital warts are one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. The virus that causes genital warts is the human papillomavirus or HPV. There are more than 40 types of HPV. Genital warts are not life threatening, but can cause discomfort at times.
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Description
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You can have the genital warts virus, HPV, and not have any visible warts. In fact, the warts can appear weeks or months after contact with a person who had the virus. When you do see a genital wart, it may vary in appearance. Most of the time they are small and the color of your skin. The warts can be flat, or large and raised and often have a grayish overtone. The wart can be a single wart or a cluster of warts, which causes a cauliflower-like appearance.
Location
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Warts can be found anywhere in the genital area or upon the inner thighs. In women, the warts can infect the exterior genital area, the vulva, the interior of the vagina, anus and rarely, the cervix. On men, the warts can be on the tip or shaft of the penis, the scrotum or anus. Genital warts can appear in the throat or mouth if you have oral sex with a person with genital warts.
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Symptoms
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Genital warts are often very itchy. There may be burning or pain especially upon urination. You may feel discomfort during intercourse. They may bleed, especially if you scratch them or there is friction from your underclothing or during intercourse.
Go To Your Doctor
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If you suspect you have genital warts, go to your doctor for a definitive diagnosis. Your doctor can look at them through a microscope, or colposcope, to make sure they are genital warts and provide you with an official diagnosis.
Complications of genital warts can arise during pregnancy. If your warts are numerous and large inside your vagina, it could make childbirth difficult. Moreover, on rare occasion, if the mother has genital warts, the baby may contract genital warts in his throat.
Treatment
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According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Warts may appear within weeks or months after sexual contact with an infected person. Or, they may not appear at all." You can catch genital warts by any type of sexual contact. You do not have to have intercourse to catch them. Genital warts often go away without treatment, but you will still be carrying the virus. Treatment is indicated if there is extreme itching or burning or if you are embarrassed by their appearance. Your doctor can give you topical creams that can help you get rid of the warts. He can also burn the warts off or surgically remove them. However, it should be noted that just because the warts are gone, doesn't mean you are HPV free, you will still be infected with the virus as it remains in your system forever. The warts may reappear later on, but in many cases the warts go dormant.
Prevention
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Abstinence from all sexual contact is the only foolproof way from contracting genital warts. The second best way is to be in a completely monogamous relationship, where both partners have no sexual contact with anyone else. Wearing a condom only partially protects you, because the warts can be anywhere in the genital area, not just the penis or vagina.
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