Will You Recover From HPV?

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of more than 100 viruses that cause warts in men and women. About 30 types of the virus can also lead to cervical cancer. Although many HPV infections happen without symptoms and eventually go away without treatment, cases of HPV affecting the genitals--considered a sexually transmitted disease--can lead to cell abnormalities and sometimes cervical cancer. You cannot recover from HPV, but the warts can be treated.

Treating HPV Warts

• The lesions and warts that occur in genitalia from HPV can be treated with several different approaches. Those procedures include cryosurgery (freezing to destroy tissue), Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) in which a hot wire loop removes the tissue, chemical acids and conventional or laser surgery. Warts that appear on the external areas of genitals may be treated with similar procedures or with topical drugs.

  Most people seek treatment for HPV warts because of the symptoms they cause or because of how they look. But these treatments won't prevent the return of more warts. Once the HPV virus is your system, you are always at risk of wart recurrence. Treatment of HPV warts also will not prevent transmission of this highly infectious sexually transmitted disease. Some experts believe that if you treat smaller warts early (less than a year since first appearance), they respond better than larger warts that have been in place for a longer period.

  Topical medications used at home can include Podofilox (Condylox) and Imiquimod (Aldara). Podofilox is applied every day for three to four weeks. A higher concentration of the drug is used for penile warts and a lower concentration is used for vulvar and anal warts. Imiquimod is for external genital warts and warts around the anus. This cream is used for up to 16 weeks.

  A newer treatment performed at the doctor's office uses interferon, a human protein that is thought to have antiviral and immunostimulating effects. A doctor can inject the drug directly into warts.

  Although you will not recover from HPV because the virus cannot be eradicated from your system, it's important to know that the immune system will play a key role in the re-occurrence of warts. Leading a healthy life, including a balanced diet, exercise, and the avoidance of alcohol, drugs and tobacco are things that you can do to maintain a stronger immune system and, possibly, reduce the number of times the HPV warts return.