Can You Get Rid of Genital Warts?

Genital warts, a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease, are caused by the human papillomavirus. Transmitted through sexual acts or skin-to-skin contact with an infected area or sore, the disease is responsible for 90% of all cervical cancer cases and also might decrease sperm count. Poor nutrition, a weakened immune system and emotional stress can contribute to the development of genital warts.

Symptoms

• Symptoms might include difficulty passing urine, an itching or burning around the genitals, painful blisters or abnormal vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse. There also might be small yellowish-white bumpy spots on sex organs and anus.

HPV Infection

• Once an individual has been infected, HPV never leaves the body. Symptoms might never occur, but the virus is never eliminated.

Treatment

• Many medical treatments can be used for genital warts. Interferon injections help the body's immune system fight HPV. Fluorouracil, a cream, must be applied weekly. The chemicals trichloroacetic acid and podophyllin can be applied directly on the skin. These must be administered by a health professional.

Surgery

• Surgical treatments include laser therapy, which destroys the warts with laser light; surgical excision to cut off the warts; cryotherapy, which freezes the wart using liquid nitrogen; or electrocautery, which eliminates the warts with heat from an electric current.

Natural Treatments

• Many people prefer to treat the condition using home remedies. Rubbing a raw potato or garlic on the affected area can eliminate warts. Aloe, applied in cream form or directly from aloe plant, can ease discomfort and help the healing process.

Disappearance

• Genital warts often develop in clusters and can be tiny or spread into large groups. If untreated, they often disappear. But this could take months or even years. During this time, the warts could easily multiply and spread.