Genital Warts In Women And How They Are Diagnosed And Treated
Genital warts are typically caused by the HPV (human papillomavirus). It is spread by skin-to-skin contact, normally during sexual contact. It has about one hundred various types, of which 40 cause warts, and the biggest culprits are HPV 11 and HPV 6.
Genital warts in women are typically located on the thighs, around the anus or around or in the vagina and could be risen and whiter or small and pink and in certain instances they are grouped. Certain types of the HPV infect the anogenital tract and cause cervical cancer; nevertheless, they are not the strains that cause genital warts. The diagnosis is normally done by a medical professional who conducts internal examination of the anus or the vagina and visual examination of the genital area. In some instances, he may also take a biopsy from a wart.
Various treatment options are available today, still it is very important to remember that they only take care of the visible signs and symptoms of the infection, while the HPV itself remains in the body. The most commonly used treatments are topical. While some can be applied by the persons on their own at home, others should be applied only by medical staff as they have the risk of burning the skin. The podophyllin 10-25% is applied for no longer than five weeks, trichloroacetic acid (TCA) 80-90% is used in almost the same way, and podofilox solution 0.5% should be used twice daily for three days, which is then followed by four days of non-treatment. All these methods are rather successful at reducing or removing the warts, still some recidivation is possible. A few natural and herbal remedies have been long used too and great success has been reported by most women that have used them. Other methods like surgical excision, laser ablation and electrocauterization have lower recurrence rate than the topical treatments and are also used, yet also require visits to a clinic and have longer recovery period.
Genital warts are transmitted via skin-to-skin contact, and so using contraceptives offers some, but not complete protection. The best possible way to avoid getting infected is by practicing monogamy. Vaccine for younger females is offered in almost all of the developed countries and it is highly recommended that women be vaccinated since it protects not only against HPV 11 and 6, but as well against the HPV 18 and HPV 16, which cause cancer.
If you see small clusters or warts on the thighs or in the genital area, you should visit your doctor as soon as possible – even though the strains causing the warts in females are believed to be low risk, you stand a good chance of clearing them if the treatment is commenced before the warts spread to a larger area. Follow your doctor’s directions, avoid sexual contacts during the treatment, and limit the quantity of sexual partners in the future.
The author of this review is a well-known expert in medicine, human papillomavirus and men’s and women’s health. Pay heed to his health website in order to learn more about hpv in women over 40 or on human papillomavirus infection in general.
Processing your request, Please wait....
