HPV and Genital Warts

HPV is a type of virus (Human papillomavirus) that causes warts on people. A few types cause warts on hands and feet but many other types cause warts on the genitals (sex organs or private parts). These warts can be as big as nickles or so small you can't see them. There are over one million new cases per year in the United States.

Anyone can get HPV. The most common way to get it is by having sex or touching the genitals of someone who already has the infection. Rarely, people can be born with the infection or children can get it while being bathed or changed. Sometimes people become infected with HPV and the warts will not develop for many years.

Your doctor can usually tell if you have genital warts. Sometimes it is easy to tell because the you can see the warts. They look like skin colored bumps or a lot of little fingers. There can be just one or many of them. Other times they are so small that your doctor must put vinegar on the wart and use a magnifying glass or microscope to see the wart. This does not hurt. Your doctor can usually tell if it is a wart or one of the things that just looks like one. The warts may also make a Pap smear abnormal.

Yes. You can pass them to someone else during sex. The best way to not pass them on is not to have sex. Condoms (rubbers) may help to slow its spread. If you have had sex with another person many times, they are probably already infected.

Doctors have found that women with genital warts get cancer of the cervix more often. If you are a woman with genital warts, you should have a Pap smear every year to catch a precancer while it is still easy to cure.

There are many ways genital warts can be treated. One way is putting chemicals such as Podophyllin, Condylox, or trichloroacetic acid on the wart to kill and dissolve it. Another is to freeze them off. The warts can also be cut off using electric loops, lasers, or surgery. The medicine Aldara can activate your immune system to kill the wart cells. You should never use over the counter cures for warts near the sex organs because they can cause severe irritation. These treatments will get rid of the warts but you may not ever get rid of HPV itself. The virus may still be inside and may cause more warts in the future. This is why it may take a long time to cure genital warts. Always talk to your doctor about your treatment and make sure you understand what to do and when to come back.

Genital warts may grow and bleed during pregnancy. Unless they get so big they block the birth canal, this is usually not a problem. Although it is possible for a baby to get HPV during birth, this rarely happens. Having genital warts is not a reason to have a C-section (caesarean-section) for delivery

                      Use Please

                                                                            Back