Health @ Hfgrotto

One of the most disturbing areas of sexual health problems in recent years is the prevalence of genital warts that affect both male and female sex organs; they can also be found around the anus as well. Unusually, this can also be transmitted via the mouth although this strain of human papillomavirus is primarily caught through sexual intercourse with an infected person. Many carriers (especially women) are unaware they carry the genital warts virus and can pass it on without knowing even if their partner is wearing a condom; which makes prevention difficult.

What makes it worse is they can lie dormant for years at a time and it may not be possible to know who infected you in the first place.Once a person is infected, they too become a carrier, unwittingly promoting the virus. While there are many hundreds of strains of this virus, only one causes ano-genital warts: the HPV6 strain. Unless a woman is due for a routine medical examination by her gynecologist a woman may not discover the warts for some time hidden inside her genitals.

In the area near the genital warts growth, can be damper and women may have more discharge because the genital area is moist and warm, the HPV virus multiplies there very fast once they start to develop. To remove them the most popular method of wart removal is to apply liquid nitrogen to the infected area; which has very low temperature and will kill the infected skin and tissues. The doctor or dermatologist will decide if liquid nitrogen can be used and this will depend on the location of the infected area although the whole procedure does not cause any pain.

Other methods are available to medicine today, there is the older cauterizing the wart using electricity or the fairly new laser treatment. All the treatments depend upon the location of the infection and even after they are removed, there is no guarantee they will not come up again. Another topical treatment for genital warts is imiquimod, and while it has been formulated to help the immune system fight the infection, the liquid does not kill the virus directly nor can it stop others from forming.

Unfortunately imiquimod cannot always be used and in particular it is not to be administered when a woman is pregnant,this is also the case when the skin around the area is inflamed and in particular, internally. Imiquimod can cause some unpleasant side effects which need to be watched for including blisters, aches all over the body, coughs and it can cause the genitals to itch but a doctor can provide more information abut this. Information provided here on genital warts is presented in good faith but is not intended nor can it replace the advice given by medical professionals.