Genital Warts are a form of STDs, which are caused by the infection of human papillomavirus. The warts appear as gray color growth and it can be found in the genital area. The infection can be found in men and women, at any age, but most of the patients suffering from the problem are in the age group of 17 to 33 years.
1. It is mainly caused by sexual contact and on having contact with multiple partners.
2. It infects the moist areas of the body and the lesions formed from the infection are painless.
3. It can be passed from one person to other through genital fluids.
4. It is an infectious disease and it can cause by single contact with the infected person.
5. If the disease is found in children below the age of three, it raises the doubt of sexual abuse.
1. The size of the infection may vary from one millimeter to centimeters.
2. The lumps can be pinkish white in color.
3. It causes bumps which are itchy.
4. Bleeding in urine, in case, the wart is present at the urethra opening.
5. There may not be any symptoms in women or she may complain of itchy discharge.
Diagnosis: Sometimes, the lesions are visible, but sometimes, it is visible through acetowhitening, in which the acetic acid solution is applied to the infected area and the infected area turns white in color.
1. Colposcopy can be used to magnify the area to see the lesions.
2. Biopsy can be used to detect infection.
3. Laboratory tests of the infection can be conducted.
The symptoms of the warts may go away in some days, but the virus may stay in people for many years. In some patients, the infection may prevent further infections and in some patients, the infection causes recurrence. Methods used to treat the problem are -
1. Cryotherapy, in which, the warts are frozen using liquid nitrogen.
2. Laser treatment can be used to cure warts but it is a high cost treatment and healing time is also high.
3. Electrodessication is the technique, in which, the electric current is used to eliminate the warts. But it can release smoke, which can be infectious.
1. The part of the body infected by wart should not be exposed to trauma as it may cause bleeding.
2. Warts should not be squeezes as it may spread infection.
3. Women who have once been infected from the genital warts should regularly see their doctor and get examined.
4. There is also vaccination available for genital warts and it has been approved for use in America for girls above the age of nine to twenty six years.
5. If one of the couple is infected, both should be examined.
6. Keep the genitals dry and clean to prevent infection.
7. Use of perfumes and deodorant may irritate the condition.
8. People, who are sexually active should be diagnosed for cervical cancer and should be tested through the cervical Pap smear test because the human papilloma virus is also linked to changes caused in the cervical cells.
