Genital Warts - Condyloma
Genital warts are highly contagious sexually transmitted disease (STD), which is caused by certain types of HPV. Since they are very widespread and it is difficult to control their transmission, it is necessary to know how to fight against them.
Condyloma (genital warts) is a disease caused by the HPV virus, i.e. Human Papilloma Virus. HPV is the cause of cervical cancer in women, so one should start a treatment immediately after the discovery of the virus. HPV has more than 100 variations and not every variation causes the genital warts, but the most widespread species mainly cause them. Only four types of the virus cause cervical cancer and more than 30 cause genital warts.
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is most often transmitted through sexual intercourse, whether it's a regular sex, whether oral or anal sex. However, warts are transmitted by direct contact with infected skin and mucous membranes.
Genital warts are very easy to get, even if you use a condom for protection. It's almost impossible to be safe from this disease, since your partner can be a transferor of the virus, even without visible symptoms. Only a contact with infected skin or contact with body fluids during sex is necessary to become infected. This is why this disease has become a global epidemic.
This disease is very quickly becoming a sexually transmitted disease No. 1 in the world when it comes to the number of infected people. According to statistics given by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 20 million people in the United States are infected with HPV. The most widespread types of HPV cause genital warts or risk of cervical cancer. It is estimated that about 80% of the sexually active population is infected with some kind of the virus.
Symptoms of genital warts are usually small pink spots or blisters or one blister (pointy warts), which look like small warts. They may look as red, pink, and white spots on the skin in the genital area, so-called plane warts, which are at the skin level and are manifested by changing the color of the tissue.
Symptoms of HPV infection may not appear for a long time, sometimes for years, but in most cases symptoms occur in the next three months after sexual contact with an infected person.
Warts usually develop from HPV when the body is weakest, as when you are sick or when you have insufficient and poor quality sleep. A healthy diet and training are very important factors in preventing the occurrence of genital warts.
Symptoms of HPV infection are therefore usually more noticeable in men than in women, since warts are more visible on the penis and around the base of the penis, rather than around the vagina.
Women may have no visible symptoms, but if they become infected, there is an increased possibility of cervical cancer, since infection with HPV is necessary precondition for this disease.
Warts occur around the anus (anal opening) in both men and women.
Men are often just carriers, but when symptoms occur, they are warts on the penis, or a rash on the penis, red, pink spots and dots around the base (root) of the penis, on the skin, the glans, around and inside the anal opening ( anus).
In women, the symptoms are the same as in men, they only occur much more frequently. Genital warts in women can be found in the form of spots and blisters on the outside in the area of the vagina and inside of the vagina, inside the labia (large and small lips). Small blisters may appear deeper inside the vagina, which is why the Pap smear (Pap test) is necessary for women of all ages in order to avoid possible complications, which can occur if the disease is not treated adequately.
Source: WebMD
The doctor usually can diagnose visible genital warts, upon review of your medical records (your medical history) and physical examination. The problem is that not all HPV infections cause genital warts. If you do not have any visible warts or other symptoms, it may be more difficult to diagnose. The doctor may ask you the following questions:
Pap smear can scan your cervix, which will show the changes, i.e. abnormalities in the cells. The result of Pap test can confirm the presence of HPV, even though there are no visible warts.
Women older than 30 years can do the HPV test at the same time as Pap test. HPV test scans the tissue sample in search of genetic information (DNA) of the virus. Women who are younger than 30 years are recommended to do HPV test only if the results of the Pap test is require that.
If the existence of changes in the cervix (which may be a consequence of HPV infection) is discovered, the doctor shall recommend the appropriate therapy.
There is no HPV test for men. Although there are no formal guidelines, some experts believe that men who engaged in anal sex should routinely do anal Pap test, especially if you have the HIV virus.
If the warts are present, you may be diagnosed without further testing.
When your doctor determines changes in the tissue, but is not able to make a diagnosis, your doctor may suggest doing a biopsy of tissue that has changes on it. Typization of HPV, i.e. testing for the sake of determining what type of HPV virus is in question is not useful for making a diagnosis and this test is not routinely performed.
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