Genital warts, which are medically known as “Condyloma acumen,” are small growths, pink or skin-colored, which occur on the penis in men, or at the opening of the vagina in women. They are a common ailment which affects both genders; however, although both men and women can be infected with genital warts, they are more likely to appear and cause symptoms in women. Genital warts are caused not by bacteria, but by a large family of viruses called the human papilloma viruses (HPV). Specific “strains,” or subtypes of HPV, can cause genital warts. They are the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States, and incompletely prevented by condom use. Although genital warts will resolve on their own, the healing process can be speeded by medical treatment, which reduces the time period when the wart is present, and when the person is infectious to others. Because genital warts can in rare cases turn into precancerosu or cancerous lesions, it is important that they be promptly treated. General warts are diagnosed by physical examination by your doctor. If necessary, a biopsy (removal of a small piece of tissue for laboratory analysis) may be performed.
Once infected, a person can not be permanently cured of genital warts, as the HPV virus can remain dormant in cells which are beyond the reach of medications or surgery. Nonetheless, there are a wide variety of medications and procedures which can treat the symptoms of genital warts. Medicines to treat warts generally require applications for several weeks, and include podophyllin or podophylox, drugs which destroys the wart tissue, and bichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid, which can also shrink warts. More recently, two more drugs, Imiquimod (Aldara) and interferon, have been developed. These two medications can be applied topically, and stimulates the body’s own immune system to attack and destroy the wart without harming surrounding healthy tissue.
A number of surgical treatments also exist for warts which do not respond to medical therapy, large warts, or warts which show pre-cancerous changes. These include cryotherapy (using a chemical to freeze off the wart), electrocautery (using electricity to fry away the wart), excision (removing the wart with a scalpel), or laser surgery (using light to destroy the wart). These procedures offer immediate relief, but may cause mild irritation to surrounding healthy tissue, and may be significantly more expensive than medical therapy.
After treatment for genital warts, the patient should examine him or herself on a regular basis for the appearance of new warts. If warts do return, it is most likely to be within the first three to six months after therapy.
Finally, although the HPV virus which causes genital warts cannot be permanently destroyed once it has infected a person, a new vaccine can prevent a person from becoming infected with certain types of HPV in the first place. The vaccine, called Gardasil, was recently FDA approved and prevents four different “strains” or types of HPV, numbers 6, 11, 16, and 18. As a result, they prevent the vast majority of cervical cancers in women, penile cancers in men, and a significant number of genital warts. The vaccine is highly effective, and is now recommended for all men and women below the age of 26 to 30.