Genital warts are growths which appear around the genital area as a result of the human papillomavirus (HPV), contracted during unprotected intercourse. This infectious disease affects both males and females and, often times, it may not present itself at skin level, thus degrading one’s health without suspecting.
Although it may be a sensitive subject for some people, it is important that you know the essential guidelines in dealing with this infection in order to follow the right type of genital warts treatment.
Symptoms
Because HPV carries a lot of strains, many of the genital warts are not visible to the naked eye. To give you a general idea of their appearance, genital warts are usually quite small with a darker shade of color than your skin tone. Some actually associate them with the cauliflower texture, depending on their size.
They are commonly located on the penis, scrotum and thighs for men, while, for women, they are usually found on the inside and outside of the vagina and anus. The unaesthetic aspect of the genital warts is one of the main reasons why affected partners start a treatment effective immediately.
Risks
One of the most common misconceptions of this infection is the fact that genital warts may increase the risk of developing cancer. The HPV strains that cause genital warts do not cause cancer, however, because of sores and bleeding there is a greater risk of being infected with the HIV virus.
Being a sexually transmitted virus, it is important to undergo annual checkups and always use protection with your partners. If you follow up a genital warts treatment in due time, you will be able to decrease the risk of contracting dangerous diseases.
Treatment
By treating genital warts, you will be able to soothe pain and discomfort, as well as decrease wart size in order to escape their unaesthetic appearance. Your doctor may recommend applying special creams and lotions as topical treatment or freezing and heating as a physical ablation treatment.
Depending on the type of strain you contracted, you will be able to keep the symptoms under control and live a healthy life while continuously using protection. The major downside of this affliction is that there is no available treatment yet that can completely eradicate HPV.
Even if you suffer from visible symptoms or not, it is important to always follow up on annual checkups with the doctor, especially if during that time you have had unprotected sex. If left untreated, you are at a high risk of developing serious diseases which cannot be treated that late in the game. If you use a genital warts treatment you will be able to live a normal and healthy life without having to worry about future outcomes.