Know More About Genital Warts
November 27th, 2008 Posted by: admin
There is serious concern amongst sexual health experts about the rise in cases of genital warts; affecting the genitalia of both sexes they can even infect the anus. They are the result of one of the forms of human papillomavirus or abbreviated to HPV that are transmitted sexually, even orally and are actually a virus. Genital warts may take some time to develop which means someone who is infected can carry it around and pass it on easily (a condom does not always prevent this virus); women who have then internally may be unaware of the infection for some time.
Just to compound the problem, there is no reason why once infected a person is infected, they do not have to show signs straight away and the virus may not activate for months, even longer.The person who contracts them however, becomes a silent carrier and that is how this disease is spreading rampantly in today’s world. Ano-genital warts on male and female genitalia belong to a specific strain of human papillomavirus virus called HPV6 although there are now over 100 known types. Normally a person becomes aware of warts as they can be seen and felt but those inside a woman’s cervix will probably only be discovered when she has a gynecological examination.
Women have the added problem that their genital area can be quite warm but also damp and are likely to have increased discharge which is an ideal situation for genital warts to thrive in. Generally, the favored method of wart removal is with the use of extremely cold liquid nitrogen which is applied to the skin over the course of a few treatments after which it will die. Whether liquid nitrogen is used is for the doctor or dermatologist to decide as it is not suitable for all locations even though it is quite painless.
Two further options are available to doctors, the traditional cauterizing the wart or the more modern but equally efficient laser process. Even these methods rely on the infection being located in a position that it is safe to use the process but removal is no guarantee of complete eradication. Another topical treatment for genital warts is imiquimod, and while it has been formulated to help the immune system fight the infection, the liquid does not kill the virus directly nor can it stop others from forming.
Imiquimod should be not be used in pregnancy without doctor’s consent,this liquid cannot be applied inside the vagina or genitals nor on inflamed areas of skin. Common side effects of imiquimod are Skin blisters, coughs, body aches and itching in genital area but your doctor will tell you more in detail. The information on genital warts supplied here is not intended to replace professional medical advice so please consult your doctor if you have any medical concerns and only follow advice given in this article after consulting your doctor.
