Genital Warts in Women
Female genital warts are a sexually transmitted disease that affects millions of women and it is by far the most widely spread STD amongst them; close to 50 million women in the US alone are believed to be infected. The condition is caused by the human papilloma virus, or HPV, which comes in no less than 40 strains and in most cases the women that have contracted the virus might not see any symptoms at all. If the symptoms actually appear this might happen months or even years after the infection.
What are the most common symptoms of female genital warts?
In most cases the warts will appear in the region of the perineum, but clusters inside the vagina are quite common too. The internal vaginal warts might cause itching, irritation, and occasionally bleeding. The size and the shape of the warts might also differ from flat to raised or cauliflower shaped lesions.
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How are the genital warts in women and the HPV virus contracted?
In rare cases non-sexually active women get infected with the HPV virus, but this is an exception of the rule; the disease is usually seen in sexually active men and women and is transmitted during vaginal, anal, or even oral sex. Unlike other STDs the exchange of bodily fluids or actual penetration is not a necessary condition for getting infected.
The human papilloma virus can also be transmitted vertically - from mother to child, or by using other people's toiletries.
Are female genital warts dangerous?
Many women think that if the disease is so widely spread that it should be harmless; unfortunately this is not the case. The genital warts in women, or to be more precise, certain types of the human papilloma virus are one of the factors that might lead to the development of cervical and less often vulvar cancer. The other two major factors are the smoking of cigarettes and weak immune system. The virus that causes visible warts (usually HPV Types 6 and 11) rarely causes cervical cancer.
Can female genital warts be treated?
The treatments that have been developed target the symptoms of the infection - removing the visible warts since they are the ones causing itching, pain or bleeding. There are various medications that can be self-applied, as well as 100% herbal solutions like Dermisil for Warts, Heal Warts and Wartrol.
Other possible treatments are the cryotherapy (treating the female genital warts with liquid nitrogen), trichloroacetic acid solution, podophyllin resin, electrocautery, laser ablation and others.
Is there a vaccine for genital warts in women?
Gardisil (also Silgard) is a vaccine against certain types of the human papilloma virus. The vaccine targets the types of the virus that are known to cause 70% of the cervical cancer and in order to be really effective should be given to girls before they become sexually active. Even though Gardisil is very effective it does not prevent the infection from all strains of the virus, therefore regular check-ups should still be carried out and pap smears taken and examined.
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What are the symptoms of genital warts in women?
Genital warts manifest themselves differently in men and women – in women they usually appear on the vulva, urethra, cervix, and vagina and around the anus. The genital warts are small lesions that can be pink, red and gray; they can also be flat, raised or in grow in clusters. At times the warts are actually quite small and not visible with the naked eye – if a doctor suspects the presence of genital warts, he or she might swab the infected …