Genital Wart Treatment: What Works & What Does Not

 

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.