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GPhC reg. no. 1120610
All medications from licensed pharmacies
GPhC reg. no. 1120610
Warts most commonly appear on the hands and on the feet. Genital warts are warts that grow specifically in the genital area. Genital warts in women may appear in or on the vagina, the cervix, the vulva and the anus and in men they may appear on the penis, the scrotum, the urethra or the anus.
Genital warts are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). The Human Papilloma Virus is responsible for more than one hundred different types of virus and is linked to cervical cancer in women.
Genital warts do not always develop immediately after a person has come into contact with the Human Papilloma Virus. Sometimes it takes a few weeks or even a few months for symptoms to develop, and many people who are infected with HPV will have no visible symptoms at all.
The first symptom is often small fleshy growths around the genital or the anal area. Changes in the skin or new bumps can also be a sign. Usually these bumps will be small and painless but sometimes they will be itchy or become inflamed, which will result in bleeding.
Genital warts can be caught by having sex with someone who is already infected with the virus. They may be caught through either vaginal or through anal sex and also through sharing sex toys. It can sometimes be spread through petting and through oral sex, though this is less common. It can also be passed from a mother to her unborn child, but this is a very rare occurrence.
Treatment of genital warts is dependant on how many warts you have and where they are situated. Special creams or liquids are often employed or the warts may be frozen off or surgically removed. A drug is also available that is injected directly into the wart itself.
Treatments are not usually painful but they can sometimes be uncomfortable. The treatment may need to be repeated several times and the warts may come back as the virus is not totally curable.
A medication called Gardasil is available, which can be used to inoculate a patient against regular outbreaks of warts though this course of treatment needs to be discussed with a doctor before it can be prescribed.
