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What Are the Causes of Venereal Warts?

Venereal warts, also know as genital warts, are a direct result of the human papillomavirus. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the highly contagious sexually trasmitted disease infects millions of Americans and is known to be the most common STD.

  1. Features

    • Genital warts appear in and around the vagina, on the penis shaft, scrotum and rectum. The small bumps, usually a millimeter in size, often bond together forming larger warts that are several centimeters in size. Discharge and itching are often associated with the bumps.

    Cause

    • According to CDC, of the 100 different stands of HPV, 40 cause genital warts. Sexually active persons between the ages of 17 to 33 are greatest risk of contracting the highly contagious disease. HPV is easily transferred through sexual activity. Because there are no symptoms of HPV, the disease is often spread unknowingly to a partner. An infected person can live without symptoms for years before venereal warts surface.

    Considerations

    • Although rare, HPV can be passed to a passed to a baby during child birth. According to the National Instuitute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the baby is at risk of developing recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, causing warts in the throat or voice box. The baby will then be a carrier of HPV.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Doctors have created a vaccine for women between the ages of 9 to 26. The Gardasil shot protects women from the four most common types of HPV. Condoms can also help prevent transmission during intercourse.

    Treatment

    • Because genital warts are a virus, there is no treatment that will cure it indefinitely. According to NIAID procedures such as cryotherapy also known as freezing the warts, and laser treatments can remove the warts, but will not prevent a future outbreak.

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