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Genital Warts/HPV

Genital Warts/HPV: Help, Support and Overcome

Genital Warts/HPV Overview

Genital warts are small bumps that are found in the genital and the anal regions. They are common in both men and women. These warts are caused by the Human Papillomavirus or HPV. This condition can occur at any age. But most patients are aged between 17 to 33 years of age. The HPV infection is highly contagious and there is more than 50% chance of getting this disease due to a sexual contact with a person who has genital warts. If the patient is less than 3 years of age, then genital warts can be transferred through non-sexual methods. People who have genital warts are susceptible to other sexually transmitted diseases too. Genital warts are also referred to as venereal warts or condyloma acuminata.

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The main problem with genital warts is that they are too small to be visible to the naked eye. The disease generally affects the moist tissues of the genital area. There are some strains of genital HPV that can cause these warts but there are other strains that can cause cancer. There are vaccines available which will protect you against certain strains of genital HPV.

Help and Support for Genital Warts/HPV

There are 100 types of HPV but only around 40 of these have the capacity to affect the genital area. There are two types of virus, HPV 6 and HPV 11, that are responsible for 90% of genital warts cases. They are considered โ€˜low riskโ€™ virus as their potential to cause cancer is the lowest. There are other types of HPV too that can cause cancer. In fact, HPV is considered the main reason for cervical cancers. Almost 65% of the people who had sexual contact with genital warts affected person get this disease within three months. The condition is also associated with the use of birth control pills and having sex at an early age.

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Genital warts, in general, are painless but they can be bothersome due to the location and size. Both men and women will complain of painless bumps and itching. Bleeding and urinary obstruction is a very rare problem. The warts are generally not confined to one area.

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Diagnosis is based on the appearance of the genital warts. Sometimes, doctors will perform acetowhitening to make the lesions visible. A 5% acetic acid solution is applied to the area for 10 minutes. The infected regions will turn white in color. A colposcopy may be done for females to look for lesions in the vaginal area and cervix. Routine Pap smears are also done to look for HPV infection and abnormal cells in the cervix.

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Since 100% effective treatment is not possible, it is very important to arrest the spread of this disease at an early stage. Condoms should be used to reduce the spread of genital warts and related cancers. An infected individual must refrain from any sexual activity till the therapy is completed.

Overcome Genital Warts/HPV

There is very little scope for home treatment as genital warts do not have any symptoms other than their appearance. You must take all precautions to prevent any trauma to the area as this may lead to bleeding. Genital warts usually go away on their own after a period of four months. But the doctor may recommend cryotherapy for the warts. It refers to the usage of liquid nitrogen to free the warts. This treatment is very successful and has very few side effects.

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Laser treatment is only recommended for recurrent genital warts. A local or a regional anesthesia may be required. The laser destroys the HPV induced lesions. However, the main disadvantages of this treatment are high cost, increased healing time and scarring.

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