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Genital Warts Facts

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a serious medical condition contracted through sexual intercourse with an infected person. Genital warts, a type of HPV, is one of the most commonly transmitted STDs. It's highly contagious, and even people who do not have outward signs of the disease can still pass it on to their partners.

  1. Symptoms

    • Symptoms of genital warts are the warts themselves. They are small and grow in clusters, but if grown close together, they can resemble larger masses. These warts most often appear on the tip of the penis, the outside of the vagina, the walls of the cervix or around the anus. Although less common, they can also appear on the penis shaft or the uterus. In rare instances, they form on the mouth or throat. Some people can go for years without experiencing these symptoms, and thus they are unaware that they have the virus unless they are informed by a doctor.

    Surgical Treatments

    • There is no cure for genital warts, but there are treatments that help suppress the virus. Doctors can surgically remove the visible warts, but because the virus is still active, they could flare up again in the future. According to the Mayo Clinic, cryosurgery using liquid nitrogen, scalpel surgery for larger warts and new laser surgeries are just some of the ways warts are removed.

    At-Home Treatments

    • In addition to treatments performed by doctors, some at-home products can help clear up genital warts. Wartec and Warticon are two topical creams containing the active ingredient podofilox. The Mayo Clinic reports that this helps fight the HPV virus that causes genital warts and allows the warts to shrink and disappear. Veregen and Polyphenon E are natural ointments made from green tea extracts. They may take a bit longer to work, but they cause less irritation than other creams.

    Vaccine

    • A vaccine called Gardasil has been developed for various HPV viral strains, including the ones that cause genital warts (i.e., strains 6 and 11). This vaccine is preventative, however, so it cannot be used to treat the virus. It has been shown to greatly reduce the risk of contracting HPV and genital warts. Studies are still being done to fully test its effectiveness.

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