Genital warts are soft growths that appear on the genitals. They’re a sexually transmitted infection (STI) triggered by certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Genital warts can cause pain, discomfort, and itching. They’re specifically unsafe for women due to the fact that some kinds of HPV can also cause cancer of the cervix and vulva.
HPV is the most common of all STIs. Men and women who are sexually active are susceptible to problems of HPV, including genital warts. Treatment is key in managing this infection.
What Are the Symptoms of Genital Warts in Females?
Genital warts are transmitted through sex, consisting of oral, vaginal, and anal sex. You might not start to establish warts for several weeks or months after infection.
Genital warts are not always visible to the human eye. They may be very little and the color of the skin or a little darker. The top of the growths may resemble a cauliflower and may feel smooth or slightly bumpy to the touch. They might occur as a cluster of warts, or simply one wart.
Genital warts in women might appear on the following areas:
- within the vagina or rectum
- beyond the vaginal area or rectum
- cervix
Genital warts may also appear on the lips, mouth, tongue, or throat of an individual who has had oral sexual contact with a contaminated person.
Even if you can not see genital warts, they might still cause symptoms, such as:
- vaginal discharge
- itching
- bleeding
- burning
If genital warts spread out or ended up being bigger, the condition can be uneasy and even uncomfortable.
What Causes Genital Warts in Women?
The majority of cases of genital warts are brought on by HPV. There are 30 to 40 pressures of HPV that specifically impact the genital areas, but simply a few of these strains trigger genital warts.
The HPV virus is highly transmittable through skin-to-skin contact, which is why it’s considered an STI.
In fact, HPV is so typical that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that many sexually active women get it eventually. However, the infection does not constantly cause complications such as genital warts. In reality, in many cases, the virus goes away on its own without causing any health problems.
Genital warts are brought on by strains of HPV that vary from the stress that cause warts on your hands or other parts of the body. A wart can’t spread out from someone’s hand to the genital areas, and vice versa.
Risk Factors for Genital Warts
Any sexually active person is at risk of getting HPV. However, genital warts are more common for woman who:
- are under the age of 30
- smoke
- have a weakened immune system
- have a history of child abuse
- are kids of a mom who had the infection during giving birth
What Are Other Possible Complications of HPV?
HPV is the primary reason for cancer in the cervix. It can likewise cause precancerous changes to the cells of the cervix, which is called dysplasia.
Other kinds of HPV may also trigger cancer of the vulva, which are the external genital organs of women. They can also trigger anal cancer.
How Are Genital Warts Diagnosed in Females?
To detect this condition, your medical professional will ask questions about your health and sexual history. This includes symptoms you’ve experienced and at any times you’ve participated in unprotected sex, consisting of foreplay.
Your doctor will likewise perform a physical exam of any areas where you think warts may be taking place.
Because warts can happen deep inside a woman’s body, your physician might need to do a pelvic examination. They might apply a moderate acidic option, which assists to make the warts more noticeable.
Your medical professional may also do a Pap smear, which includes taking a swab of the area to acquire cells from your cervix. These cells can then be evaluated for the existence of HPV. Particular types of HPV might trigger irregular results on a Pap smear, which may show precancerous modifications. If your physician finds these irregularities, you might need more frequent screenings to monitor any changes.
If you’re a woman and concerned that you might have contracted a form of HPV understood to cause cervical cancer, your doctor can carry out a DNA test. This identifies what stress of HPV you have in your system. An HPV test for men is not yet offered.
How Are Genital Warts Treated?
While visible genital warts often go away with time, HPV itself can stick around in your blood stream. This means you might have numerous outbreaks during your life. This makes managing symptoms crucial since you wish to prevent transmitting the infection to others. That stated, genital warts can be passed on to others even when there are no noticeable warts or other symptoms.
You may wish to treat genital warts to alleviate painful symptoms or to lessen their appearance. However, you can not treat genital warts with non-prescription (OTC) wart eliminators or treatments.
Your physician might recommend topical wart treatments that might consist of:
- imiquimod (Aldara).
- podophyllin and podofilox (Condylox).
- trichloroacetic acid (TCA).
If visible warts don’t disappear with time, you may need small surgery to eliminate them. Your physician can likewise eliminate the warts through:
- electrocautery, or burning warts with electrical currents.
- cryosurgery, or freezing warts.
- laser treatments.
- excision, or cutting off warts.
- injections of the drug interferon.
Women who have been detected with genital warts might need to have Pap smears every three to six months after their preliminary treatment. This enables your medical professional to keep an eye on any modifications in your cervix. Monitoring is very important since you might be at greater risk of cervical cancer. The strains of HPV that trigger genital warts are considered low-risk for progression into cancer. However, you might have other HPV stress as well, a few of which might increase your danger of cancer.
Home Remedies for Genital Warts
You should not utilize OTC treatments indicated for hand warts on genital warts. Hand and genital warts are caused by different strains of HPV. Utilizing the incorrect treatments may do more harm than good.
Some home remedies are promoted as practical in treating genital warts, however there is little evidence to support them. Always consult your physician before attempting a natural home remedy.
How Woman Can Prevent Genital Warts
HPV vaccines called Gardasil and Gardasil 9 can protect women from the most common HPV pressures that cause genital warts, and can likewise secure versus pressures of HPV that are linked to cervical cancer. A vaccine called Cervarix is also available. This vaccine secures against cervical cancer, however not versus genital warts.
People approximately age 26 years can get the HPV vaccine. It can likewise be offered as early as age 9, and is available in a round of three different shots. Both kinds of vaccine must be provided before the individual becomes sexually active, as they’re most effective before a person is exposed to HPV.
Bottom Line
Genital warts are an issue of HPV infection that prevails and treatable. They can disappear in time, but treatment is essential in preventing their return and possible complications.
If you believe you have genital warts, talk with your physician. They can figure out if you have warts and what your best treatment choices are.
In addition, it’s important to talk with your husband. Being open about your condition can help you protect him from likewise getting an HPV infection and genital warts.
