Genital Wart Treatment: What Works & What Does Not

HPV is characterized by soft wart growths in the genital area, which are called Condylomata Acuminata and are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).   Genital warts are one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases.

A genital wart can look like a common wart or be pink or red in color.  They can appear like a rough cauliflower like a hand wart.  These warts grow in the genital area where it is moist. Sometimes they cause burning or itching.

In women they may appear on the vulva, anus or cervix.  In men they are often found on the penis or scrotum.  They can spread to the groin and inner thigh area in men and women.

There is no cure for HPV but it is possible to find genital wart treatment.  Sometimes genital warts disappear on their own, without any treatment.  Genital wart treatment involves medications and sometimes surgery.  There are prescription topical genital wart treatments which include Trichloroacetic acid, Imiquimod and Podofilox.

Surgical treatment for genital warts includes laser treatment, electrocautery and cryosurgery.  Laser and electrocautery works by burning off the warts and cryosurgery uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart.  The wart will fall off after cryosurgery.

There is an antiviral drug called Interferon which is injected into the wart. However this is not usually used as a primary treatment method. This is an expensive treatment and is usually used when warts reappear after other treatments have been used.

Once you have HPV you will always carry it even if you have no symptoms.  There is no cure.  When you are asymptomatic the virus lies dormant in your system.  The virus is transmitted sexually or by skin to skin contact.

There is an HPV vaccine called Gardisil available for young women to protect against cervical cancer and it may prevent genital warts.  Condoms do not protect against HPV 100 percent.  Since HPV can be caused by skin to skin contact and lesions can be on other areas besides the penis condoms cannot provide complete protection.  However, condoms should be used during sexual intercourse to prevent transmission of other sexually transmitted diseases.  Condoms can still decrease the risk of the spread of HPV.

Having an STD can be an embarrassing and sensitive issue.  Do not let this stop you from getting genital wart treatment.  It is a medical problem that can be treated.

Sometimes genital warts are so small they may go undetected by the individual.  A woman may find out she has HPV following a gynecological exam and Pap smear.

Genital wart treatments are not a cure.  Sometimes genital warts disappear on their own.  Other times they reappear after treatment.

If you are sexually active and you have genital warts, the best thing you can do is to tell your sexual partner that you carry HPV and make it a practices to use a condom when having sex. Try to abstain if you have an active wart.  If you detect a genital wart seek genital wart treatment right away.

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Vikram Kumar - About the Author:

Genital warts are caused by HPV. It is a virus that can not be cured but the symptoms can be treated. To find out more about genital warts and genital wart treatment visit Wart Cream.

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Genital Wart Treatment

Genital warts are small warts that develop around the anus, vagina, penis and groin area after contact with the HPV virus that causes the warts. This is a sexually transmitted disease or STD that is transmitted strictly through sexual contact. There is no cure for genital warts, but many treatments are available.

No Treatment

It is thought that up to 30% of genital warts will actually go away on their own without treatment. This could be the case for a patient if there is no discomfort, and then treatment is not needed. If itching, burning or pain is causing any discomfort, treatment may be sought.

Imiquimod or Aldara

Aldara is a cream that boosts the immune system’s capabilities of fighting the genital warts. While applying this cream twice a day for 3 days and then no cream for 4 days, you should avoid any sexual contact. This can weaken the protection that condoms and diaphragms offer, and will irritate a partner’s skin if contact is made.

Podophyllin or Podofilox

Both of these medications are also known as condylox, and they are plant based resins that actually kill the genital wart tissues. These medications are applied by a physician in office, and have recommendations of no sexual contact while using. These creams are to be air dried on the skin of the warts, but should not be used on surrounding skin. This is to be applied only on the warts as it can have serious side effects if placed on unaffected skin. This should not be used during pregnancy, as side effects to the fetus have been noted.

Tricholoracetic Acid or TCA

TCA is a chemical treatment that is used to burn off the genital warts, and is always applied in office by a doctor. It may take a few treatments over a monthly period to completely remove all warts with this method.

Surgery

Cryotherapy is a type of surgery that uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the blisters to form around the warts. The skin then heals and sloughs off the lesions, therefore killing off the warts and allowing new skin to emerge. This can take many treatments to completely rid the skin of current warts

Electrocautery and Surgical Excision

Electrocautery involves using an electric current to burn off the warts, while surgical excision actually uses specific tools to cut the warts off. This procedure requires local anesthesia for pain dulling effects, and is normally complete after one treatment for all active warts on the skin at the time of the procedure.

Laser Treatments

Lasers or intense beams of light are used to burn off and cut off warts, but is very expensive and time consuming. This is normally only used for very hard to treat warts, and therefore is not used often.

Although many treatments exist for genital warts, more than one can be used at a time for specific cases. Medications for other genital STDs can be used in conjunction with these treatments if your physician sees an improvement.

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Waldon Bioresearch - About the Author:

Genital Warts and Genital Herpes Treatment. New Breakthrough Treatments for genital warts, genital herpes and HPV from Waldon Bioresearch. For details visit http://www.warttreatment.co.uk

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