Genital warts are a common sexually transmitted disease caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). They can appear on the genitals, anus, scrotum, vulva, perineal area, vagina, cervix, thigh, groin, and even the mouth and throat. Safe sex practices and medical treatment can help manage symptoms, but the virus may still be present in the body.
Genital warts, sometimes called venereal warts, are actually a common type of sexually transmitted disease (STD). As the name suggests, these warts affect the moist tissues of the genital area. Warts are typically flesh-colored or gray and may be raised or flat. They range in size from too small to see with the naked eye to large, bumpy, cauliflower-like clusters.
In men, genital warts can grow on the tip or shaft of the penis, anus, or scrotum. In women, they can grow in the vulva and perineal area and extend internally into the vagina and cervix. They can also occur in the thigh and groin area and could also develop in the throat and mouth of a person who has had oral sex with an infected person.
Like warts that appear on other areas of the skin, genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are over 100 different HPV strands, but only about 40 can cause warts. A subset of these can lead to precancerous changes and can cause cervical, vulvar, penile, and anal cancer. These strains of the virus are highly contagious and spread through sexual contact with an infected person. The most effective way to prevent catching HPV and avoid genital warts is to use safe sex practices, which include wearing a latex condom during sexual encounters and avoiding sexual contact with those affected.
Although most warts in the genital area are painless and cause no symptoms, itching, burning, or tenderness may occur in the infected area. Some women who have genital warts inside the vagina may experience bleeding with intercourse or abnormal vaginal discharge.
These warts can be removed in a number of ways, but treatment is best left to a doctor as it is easy to damage the sensitive genital area. Small warts can be treated with chemicals such as podofilox or trichloroacetic acid (TCA), frozen with liquid hydrogen, or removed with laser surgery. Another method of wart removal is the ring electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), in which the doctor passes a sharp, ring-shaped instrument under the wart and cuts it out of the skin.
If your genital warts are large or won’t go away after being treated with different methods, your doctor might try an injection of interferon, which is a chemical that stimulates the body’s immune response to fight infections and viruses. Interferon is usually injected into the warts twice a week until the warts disappear. However, this procedure is expensive.
While all treatments can get rid of warts, none of them will get rid of the virus. Since the HPV will still be present in the body, the warts can come back and the virus can still be spread.
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