For women, venereal warts normally are found inside the vagina, around the vulva (outer part of the vagina), on the cervix, or around the anus area. If the warts are internal then it is likely that there will be a change in any discharge from the vagina or that there will be some type of burning sensation.

For men, they are likely to be on the penis although they can also be found inside the urethra and around the anus. If they do occur around the urethra, there may be a discharge or bleeding. There may also be an increased need to urinate.

Venereal warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) and are also known by most people as genital warts. This sexually transmitted disease has become a very common problem in recent years especially among the young adult population. They can appear to be the same as warts that develop on other parts of the body, however they can be much more serious. This risk particularly applies to women as some strains are linked to an increased risk of cervical cancer.

The condition causing these warts is normally spread from skin-to-skin contact during sex. Any visible warts will begin to become visible with 2 to 3 months after exposure to an infected person. It is quite a common problem that is often made worse by the fact that you or your partner may not be aware that you even have the virus.

Accordingly, prevention is clearly the best way to approach this condition although it is not always easy to achieve. You should try to learn about your partner’s sexual or health history before you start having sex. This might not seem practical, and would obviously be a mood-killer if approached the wrong way, but at least make an effort to find out what you can. If there are any visible signs of warts around their genitals, try to get them to seek proper medical assistance – this is for your benefit as well as that of your partner. Always keep in mind that condoms are a good option for preventing transfer of venereal warts so be sure to make use of them.

If you want further information about venereal warts, you can always visit your local library or search through the various sources that are now available online. This is an important health issue that you need to treat and be aware of, so make sure that you seek professional medical advice and treatment if required.

A substantial proportion of the population get infected by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and then present with genital warts. Women who become pregnant run a risk of passing on this disease to their baby as it is very contagious. Accordingly, it is recommended that the problem should be treated before the child is due.

The genital warts themselves can even cause problems during pregnancy and have potential to create other health issues. For example, you might find that the warts will grow larger and this can lead to pain or difficulty with urinating. You might also find that, due to changes with your hormones, the growths will be more significant and could even start bleeding. If the warts are located inside the vagina, they also could limit the elasticity of this region which might lead to obstruction or at least a more difficult delivery process.

Obviously genital warts and pregnancy are not a great mix so it is important that you get proper medical attention as soon as possible. The HPV has potential to weaken your natural immune system so this adds increased potential for contracting other infections or viruses. It is not all doom and gloom though and some things need to be kept in perspective. In most cases pregnant women will not pass the condition onto their child. This doesn’t meant that you should ignore the potential problems that can occur. This includes laryngeal papillomatosis which is the name of a condition where babies get infected with warts in their throats. Although this is quite uncommon, it is obviously a very dangerous condition if it happens and it will require quick medical treatment.

For the reasons outlined above you really need to consider ways of treating the condition before it impacts significantly on your health or the health of your unborn child. If you are looking at prevention to make sure that it isn’t an issue for you in the first place, then a good starting point is to make sure that you are not having sex with someone who has HPV.  Abstinence is great, but not always realistic, so if you find this difficult in your particular circumstances at least try to be careful with any potential partner. You really need to reduce the potential of getting the disease so consider using condoms as they will provide some protection from potentially getting the infection.

Genital warts are clearly an unpleasant problem to deal with and this applies whether you are pregnant or not. If you are pregnant though, there are even more reasons to take precautions to ensure that you don’t contract the infection in the first place or to make sure that you get proper medical treatment if you do.

Sometimes the symptoms of genital warts might be mistaken as being part of a totally different condition. This will often occur when warts are not visible, even on close inspection. For these situations your doctor might take into account your overall range of symptoms and then undertake further tests before concluding that you actually have this condition. There are several possible methods used including the light application of a vinegar-like substance to the potentially infected area.

The various genital warts symptoms might not get picked up if the warts are located internally in places like the wall of the vagina. This type of situation can lead to an incorrect diagnosis as it may be presenting as a different medical condition like a yeast infection. The best advice is to always get your medical professional to assess your condition as soon as you think you could be displaying any of the possible signs.

It is important to get swift and correct diagnosis so that you can then get the optimal treatment solution for your specific problem. This is why trying to diagnose your own health can lead to the wrong options being used and this can lead to very negative results for your health. If you are taking the wrong medication, or undergoing the wrong treatment, then you might actually be working against your natural immune system that might be needed to fight specific viruses in the future.

There might be a tendency to ignore any genital warts symptoms but this is also fraught with danger. Failing to treat the condition could possibly lead to conditions that are even more serious including cervical cancer. Recurring symptoms can be a potential indicator of this very serious problem and even of other serious problems like HIV-AIDS. The genital warts in these situations are really the signs of the serious condition and not the actual cause. The need to receive early and proper attention should be fairly obvious to ensure that it doesn’t relate to these types of conditions.

You always need to keep in mind that even if you remove the genital warts symptoms, you will still have the underlying HPV as this cannot be cured. Your body will be working hard from within to defeat the virus, without the need for medication, but this won’t happen straight away.

Genital warts are the physical manifestation of the human papilloma virus (HPV). This virus is highly contagious and there are over 100 different types of which only two are responsible for genital warts. When any infected skin in the genital area makes contact with the genital regions of another there is a very high chance the virus will spread to the second person – in other words genital warts is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. When someone contracts the virus, it does not necessarily mean you will get genital warts – some people never experience them at all – but if you do it is always best to get them checked out professionally.

Treatment is quite straight forward but can be a drawn out process that requires repeated and tedious actions. It must be noted that the HPV itself cannot be cured because as yet there is no known cure for viruses. You can only remove the warts and even this is no guarantee that they won’t come back after a time as the virus is still active inside the body. If the warts are not too large or widespread, then your doctor will probably recommend a medicated cream (such as Imiquimod or Podophyllotoxin) which will either destroy the abnormal wart cells or will boost the body’s immune system so it can deal with the warts. If, however, your warts have become very large and widespread then surgical action may be required.

Here, you have three options: cryosurgery where the warts are effectively frozen off – this can leave a certain amount of scarring as you have to keep going back to have the dead skin removed, electrocautery which burns the warts away and trichloracetic acid which attacks the proteins in the abnormal cells and is so strong that it can only be administered by a medical professional.

The last surgical option is far more expensive and requires a trained technician to perform the operation. This is laser surgery and is only recommended when all other treatment has failed or if you are expecting and need to get rid of stubborn warts but cannot use chemicals due to pregnancy.

Laser surgery will remove the warts immediately but it will take about two to four weeks to heal completely. There is also the slight possibility that another outbreak will occur immediately due to the fact it ‘impacts’ the immune system and triggers dormant viruses in the same area.

O.K. so now we know you can’t cure the virus, removal is the only way to get rid of the warts and this can be very messy, time consuming and sometimes even painful. What can be done to prevent the whole thing from happening in the first place? Common sense should lead you to the best preventative measure – don’t have intimate relations with someone who may have the virus already. If this is impossible -  for whatever reason -  then try and stick with one trusted partner whom you know is not infected and always practice safe sex, this way you’ll have no need to know about how to treat genital warts.

© Megan Jackson

Megan is a teacher who likes to help people with genital warts issues. She is also a platinum-level expert author on EzineArticles.com which is the world’s largest article directory. Megan recommends using natural and homeopathic approaches such as Wartrol. For a special discount, just click here.

Unfortunately, HPV cannot be cured because it is a virus (and antibiotics will not deal with it) but genital warts can be removed even though this will not rid your body of the virus and there is the chance of another outbreak. Having said that it is always worth getting your warts checked out as occasionally some types of genital warts can be a precursor to more serious complications such as cervical cancer.

Depending on the severity and size of your warts, your local G.P. or medical clinic will advise you on the best method of removal. If they are not too serious, different gels and creams can be applied. Podophyllotoxin is a plant extract and because the body absorbs it, the cream should not be used if you are pregnant. With repeated applications, this cream should destroy the warts within about three weeks and although it is easier to apply to awkward places than a liquid, it may sometimes cause the skin to become red and have a burning sensation.

Another cream is imiquimod which may be prescribed if podophyllotoxin is not successful. This is applied each night and then washed off in the morning and works by boosting the body’s immune system to destroy the warts. Itching, redness and soreness are common side effects and it does take a long time to work – about two months in women and three in men.

If surgery is recommended, there are three options that are more commonly used: Cryosurgery where the warts are frozen with nitrous oxide, electrocautery where the warts are burnt off and trichloracetic acid which destroys the proteins in the cells. If the warts are excessively large then your doctor may suggest laser surgery.

Freezing your warts may take several treatments while burning and laser removal will do the job in one go. Healing time will vary depending on the size of the area treated but it will probably take two to four weeks to heal completely. Surgical removal of genital warts is quite a quick process but all the follow-ups can become tedious and the possibility of scarring should always be taken into consideration.

Gels, creams and surgical removal can only be done by a medical professional but there are some remedies which you can make at home. Apple cider vinegar is probably the most popular as it is simple and actually works. All you have to do is soak some cotton wool in apple cider vinegar and then tape it in place over your warts. Leave overnight and remember to remove it in the morning (otherwise it will burn your skin). Your warts should begin to fall off within about a week. Other home remedies include tea tree oil, garlic and vitamin E to name but a few. These remedies are natural and if used properly will not give you any unwanted side effects.

There are several options which may be taken for genital wart removal and the method of choice is, of course, entirely up to the individual.

© Megan Jackson

Megan is a teacher who likes to help people with genital warts issues. She is also a platinum-level expert author on EzineArticles.com which is the world’s largest article directory. Megan recommends using natural and homeopathic approaches such as Wartrol. For a special discount, just click here.

Genital warts are the result of the human papilloma virus (HPV) which unfortunately cannot be counteracted with antibiotics. Many women recover from HPV infections with no problem at all as their immune system deals with it, yet if you believe you have the virus always seek professional diagnosis because there is the possibility it may be the precursor to cervical cancer. Even if there are no other health complications, the longer genital warts are allowed to grow unchecked, the more persistent they become and allowing them to grow into large clusters can cause health problems.

Genital warts can grow both on and in the vagina. They are small, gritty-like growths to begin with but then grow and become more frond like. If left untreated they can start to grow together and then start to resemble miniature cauliflowers.  Sometimes they merely appear as flat and are not painful in themselves but can be itchy and slightly uncomfortable.

When someone contracts HPV it can cause just one wart to grow or it may trigger many warts to appear – there is no hard and fast rule. Vagina warts, however, are sometimes quite difficult to detect especially when they are flat and on the inner area of the vagina so it may be useful to have a smear test which can tell if there are any other abnormal signs you should be aware of.

You may never feel any adverse affects if you develop vagina warts, but, depending on their size, they can cause a burning sensation when urinating and sometimes can be accompanied by a discharge and bleeding. They may also lead to discomfort, bleeding and pain during intercourse. The only way forward is to get yourself medically checked out for you and your partner’s sake.

Complications can occur if you are pregnant and have left your vagina warts untreated. Large warts can be uncomfortable and during pregnancy can become larger making it difficult to spend a penny. The warts can make the walls of the vagina less elastic thereby causing unnecessary problems during delivery and, if they are very large, can actually become an obstruction during the birth.

As well as this, they may prove to be a danger to the baby. The following scenario is very rare; nevertheless it is still a possibility. A baby may become infected by vagina warts during delivery and then contract the virus themselves so warts start to grow in the throat (laryngeal papillomatosis). This is potentially a life threatening condition.

Obviously, when you suspect you may have HPV, it is best for everyone that you get professional advice as soon as possible.

© Megan Jackson

Megan is a teacher who likes to help people with genital warts issues. She is also a platinum-level expert author on EzineArticles.com which is the world’s largest article directory. Megan recommends using natural and homeopathic approaches such as Wartrol. For a special discount, just click here.

Treatments

The virus itself cannot be treated and in most cases the body’s immune system deals with it over a matter of months but the viral symptom of genital warts may be treated either at home or at the doctors.

Most use a topical medication first of all in the form of a gel or cream. Some are particularly strong and may only be applied by a medical professional while others such as podofilox and imiquimod can be safely used at home. These are painless to use yet require daily applications for a number of weeks – it is also important to note that these should not be used if you are pregnant as they are absorbed by the skin and may damage the baby.

If you are looking for a quicker method, then you may consider a type of removal.

Removal

If the warts are very large and hard to remove then they may need to be surgically dealt with through laser surgery. This is the most expensive removal method and needs a trained specialist.

For smaller genital warts, doctors have three options – all of which they can perform in their own surgeries:

1. Cryosurgery – this is the freezing of abnormal cells. A chemical such as nitrous oxide is applied to the wart and it destroys the diseased tissue. This is the most popular method as it is usually painless; it has a high success rate and is the least expensive option.
2. Electrocautery is the opposite of cryosurgery. Instead of freezing the warts, it burns them off with a low voltage electrical probe. Patients with only a few warts may receive a local anesthetic to deal with the accompanying pain while those with larger or more frequent warts may need a general anesthetic. There is a risk of some infection with electrocautery so antibiotics may be administered after the procedure and scarring can be evident. As well as this, it can take up to four weeks for the tissue to heal and during that time the affected area may be red, sore and swollen.
3. Trichloracetic Acid (TCA). This is applied to the wart once a week and works by destroying the proteins in the cells. It must be used very carefully as it will destroy any tissue it is in contact with. It takes about six to ten weeks but studies have shown it has about an 88% success rate. TCA is most effective on small moist areas of warts.

It must be remembered that the removal of genital warts only relieves the symptoms and does not deal with the actual HPV so there is always the chance the warts will recur.

© Megan Jackson

Megan is a teacher who likes to help people with genital warts issues. She is also a platinum-level expert author on EzineArticles.com which is the world’s largest article directory. Megan recommends using natural and homeopathic approaches such as Wartrol. For a special discount, just click here.

It’s a fact that people do not like to talk about genital warts and as a result, those who do contract them don’t immediately know much about them. In actual fact, it’s nothing complicated; it’s just not talked about because there is still some sort of taboo over sexually transmitted diseases.

There are many strains of HPV – around 100 – but only two, strains six and eleven cause genital warts. At the moment it is not possible to cure the body of HPV because a virus will not respond to antibiotics but it is possible to remove the genital warts to stop them growing larger and causing any further medical problems.

It is important to get professional advice if you contract HPV and the resulting warts but once you have the diagnosis then there are quite a few options of treatment open to you.

If the warts are not too big and still manageable then your G.P. will probably prescribe a medicinal cream to either destroy the wart cells or to give your immune system a boost which will then deal with the problem itself but if the warts have grown rather large or have proved to be impervious to these creams, the doctor will probably then advise surgical methods. The most common and least expensive surgeries include cryosurgery where nitrous oxide is used to freeze the warts off, electrocauterisation where the abnormal cells are burnt off and trichloracetic acid which is an especially strong chemical which again destroys the wart – this, however, has to be applied by a professional medic who can ensure the acid only touches the wart and not the surrounding tissue otherwise the surrounding healthy skin will be killed as well.

In the unlikely event that all these options do not work or if perhaps you are pregnant and the warts have become unmanageable then sometimes a doctor will recommend laser surgery but this can be extremely expensive and there are pros and cons to this treatment as well. The area will not completely heal for at least two to four weeks and sometimes the laser will have such an impact t the immune system that other outbreaks of warts can be triggered immediately so you are suddenly back at square one, so to speak. On the plus side, depending on the strength of your warts, the procedure will be over in about half an hour and there are no invasive chemicals that could hurt you or, if pregnant, your growing baby.

Of course, once diagnosed, some people turn to natural home remedies which do actually work. Apple cider vinegar is the most popular, closely followed by tee tree oil, vitamin E and garlic. Several applications of these over a course of weeks will make the warts die and finally drop off although, of course, there can be no guarantee they won’t come back again.

Causes

Genital warts seem to be most frequent among young women in their twenties. HPV can be easily spread between sexual partners through skin to skin contact especially when there is any slight cut or lesion on the skin and studies show that up to 65% of women with infected partners will become infected themselves. You may not realize you have contracted the virus for a few months as the incubation period varies from weeks to months and sometimes even years following infection.

Occasionally, the virus may be transferred between adults through indirect means such as a dirty towel or an unclean toilet seat but these are quite rare events. Babies have occasionally been known to suffer from it in their respiratory tracts following delivery from an infected mother but it must be stressed this is not a common event. Even so, in the light of this – if you have genital warts and are pregnant, it may be a good idea to get them sorted out immediately.

Symptoms

The papilloma virus sometimes goes unnoticed with the infected person never realizing that they actually have it but when it does manifest itself, then both men and women will see the formation of genital warts. As you may expect, these can be rough cauliflower type lesions (pretty much like a wart you can get on a finger) but they can also be flat or on single stalks. Their color can vary from whitish gray to pinkish red and external warts are liable to feel itchy. On females they grow on the vulva, the vagina, on the anus and even inside the anus and uterus.

Internal warts may be more inconvenient as these can create pain and bleeding from the vagina and can make intercourse uncomfortable or even painful.

The only guaranteed way to prevent the onset of genital warts is to abstain from sex altogether but, inevitably for many, celibacy is an unfeasible option. The next best way is to keep your sexual activity to one trusted partner whom you know is free from any infection. Safe sex and the use of condoms can help in reducing the amount of skin to skin contact but even so areas of skin touch other infected regions and the risk of contagion is still present.

If you suspect a case of genital warts, a doctor can ascertain the truth with a simple test even if you have no external visible warts. Once diagnosed, there are many ways you can treat them even though there is no known medical cure for the virus itself.

© Megan Jackson

Megan is a teacher who likes to help people with genital warts issues. She is also a platinum-level expert author on EzineArticles.com which is the world’s largest article directory. Megan recommends using natural and homeopathic approaches such as Wartrol. For a special discount, just click here.

HPV has over 100 strains but it is mainly the strains 6 and 11 that cause genital warts. These warts tend to grow in the moist areas of the genitals like the tip or shaft of the penis in males or on the vulva, vagina and cervix in females; they can also appear around and inside the anal region.

Occasionally, after oral sex with an infected individual, warts can appear in the mouth and throat but this is rarer as the virus seems to prefer the genital area. Incidentally, it is worth noting that some babies have been known to contract the virus in their respiratory tract during delivery from a mother suffering from genital warts. The virus is highly contagious so if you think you have contracted it always seek medical advice not only for your own sake but for also for those who come into contact with you.

There are different medical treatments for genital warts available but there is no guarantee that the warts will not return as they are the product of a virus as opposed to a bacteria and antibiotics cannot fight off a virus. The only answer is to deal with the warts and let the body’s own immune system deal with the virus.

Medically speaking, if your warts are small and manageable, there are different creams obtainable from the doctor such as imiquimod which can boost your immune system to fight the warts and podofilox. The latter, however, is only for external warts as it destroys the wart tissue and has to be applied directly to the infected skin. This is not to be used during pregnancy. There is also trichloroacetic acid (TCA) which is a strong chemical and must only be administered by the doctor.

For larger warts, and for women who are pregnant, you may want to consider some surgical procedures. Treatments include cryotherapy which basically freezes the warts off, electrocautery which burns the warts off or the more expensive laser treatment which is only used for the most difficult to treat warts.

There are, of course, home remedies available for use if your warts are not too large or if you just don’t want to go to the doctor. Many swear by the properties of apple cider vinegar. Apply the vinegar directly to the infected skin and then put some tape over it and leave for a couple of hours. This should make the warts go white. Keep doing this and the warts should eventually fall off – it may be a prolonged process but all accounts report a successful outcome. Other home remedies include vitamin E oil, milkweed sap, onion juice and garlic although this last one seems to produce a burning sensation.

People think that smoking and oral contraceptives seem to make you more open to the occurrence of genital warts therefore quitting the use of these may have a beneficial effect. As well as this, it will always help to build up your body’s immune system with a good diet (including lots of dark green leafy vegetables) and a moderate amount of exercise such as aerobics, walking or maybe cycling. It may not be possible to cure the virus but genital warts can be brought to a minimum.

© Megan Jackson

Megan is a teacher who likes to help people with genital warts issues. She is also a platinum-level expert author on EzineArticles.com which is the world’s largest article directory. Megan recommends using natural and homeopathic approaches such as Wartrol. For a special discount, just click here.