There is a lot of information that goes into understanding what are genital warts. An overview of what are genital warts provides the simple explanation that they are flesh-colored or gray growths that both men and women can get in the genital and anal region. Genital warts is also the most common sexually transmitted disease as a result of a virus. Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus or HPV. At first an infection of genital warts is not obvious.

Both men and women can get genital warts at any age. Those between the ages of seventeen and thirty-three are the most common patients with genital warts. They are high contagious and there is a sixty percent risk of getting genital warts with just one sexual contact with someone else who has genital warts. In children genital warts can occur through nonsexual modes such as direct manual contact. However, the presence of genital warts in children is always cause for suspicion of sexual abuse.

What Are Genital Warts Caused By

Genital warts are caused by the a virus called the human papillomavirus or HPV. There are over a hundred different types of this virus that have been identified and over forty of these viruses can infect the genital area. Although ninety percent of genital warts are caused by two types of the HPV virus, number six and eleven. Both of these types are considered low risk, meaning they don’t have a high cancer causing potential. Then there is HPV 16 which is responsible for fifty percent of the cervical cancer cases and types 16, 18, 31 and 45 have accounted for eighty percent of other cancers.

More specifically when considering what are genital warts caused by, they result when the viral particles are able to penetrate the skin or mucosal surfaces through any microscopic abrasions in the genital area which can occur during sexual activity. After the HPV virus invades cells there is a latency period of several months to years. Although most of the time two-thirds of people who had sexual contact with a partner with genital warts developed the warts themselves within three months.

Another aspect of what are genital warts caused by that many are not aware of is the fact that genital warts are associated with the use of birth control pills due to increased sexual contact without barrier protection, multiple sex partners and having sex when an individual is too young.

When you have sex, there are many things to worry about. There’s pregnancy and then there are STD’s. When we hear about sexually transmitted diseases, we usually hear about HIV, AIDS, gonorrhea, or herpes.  However, the human papillomavirus (HPV) is something that absolutely should not be overlooked when it comes to threats to the body arising from sexual activity.  There are a variety of strains of HPVs.  Some have been linked to cancer both in the cervical area of women and the penis of men.  Other, more common strains, are the causal factor in genital warts.

 The warts are actually caused by a strain of HPV, or Human Papilloma Virus. Genital warts are not only unattractive but they can lead to cancer if not treated. The best thing to do, however, is practice prevention so that you don’t get genital warts in the first place. Always use a condom during sex and try to limit your sexual partners. These prevention techniques can protect against warts as well as a number of other STD’s. There is no cure for genital warts, but sometimes they will go away on their own. You can have them treated, however, for aesthetic reasons and for peace of mind.

What They Look Like

Genital warts are very unattractive. They are marked by white, cauliflower looking bumps on or around the penis or vagina. They can also be found around the anus in some individuals. These bumps are not only unsightly, but they can also cause great mental trauma in those that have them. That’s because they fear about other sexual partners finding out about them. Unlike other sexually transmitted diseases that are otherwise invisible, warts are hard to hide.

More specifically when considering what are genital warts caused by, they result when the viral particles are able to penetrate the skin or mucosal surfaces through any microscopic abrasions in the genital area which can occur during sexual activity. After the HPV virus invades cells there is a latency period of several months to years. Although most of the time two-thirds of people who had sexual contact with a partner with genital warts developed the warts themselves within three months. There is hope, however, because they can be treated. Doctors have had success freezing them off with liquid nitrogen. This can lead to scarring but it can get rid of the genital warts that are causing so much stress to the sufferer.

Creams and Other Treatments

There are creams and other treatments that have shown promise in getting rid of genital warts. These creams are prescribed by your doctor and should never be used unless approved. Most are prescription strength, so ask your doctor if they’ve heard of them. If you’re too embarrassed to see a doctor about genital warts, do it for yourself and also for any future sexual partners. After all, you don’t want to spread them to other people if you can help it. So make sure you seek out treatment as there are several treatment options available.

There is no cure for HPV or genital warts, but sometimes a person’s immune system will eradicate them on its own. The best thing to do if you have genital warts is to see your doctor. You should do this not only for your own peace of mind, but also the health of any of your future sexual partners. Having this STD isn’t the end of the world, though it can seem that way to anyone who suffers from them. The most important thing you want to keep in mind is that, if left untreated, genital warts can lead to cancer, especially in women. So if you have genital warts, or even if you just think you might have them, see your doctor immediately and get some genital wart treatment for this unsightly and embarrassing STD.

It is very common for people to be infected with the human papillomovirus or HPV. Nearly twenty million people in the United States alone are affected. Nearly thirty out of every one hundred HPV types can be transmitted sexually. The transmission of HPV can cause genital warts or abnormal cell changes in the cervix and other genital areas that could then result in cancer.

For those who have genital warts and HPV there is good news and bad news. The bad news is that there is no genital wart cures to use, but the good news is that the infection often clears on its own. If the condition does not clear on its own a lack of genital wart cures doesn’t mean you can’t do something about your condition. You can still choose between many treatment options. Also the rates of HPV infection are dropping with the introduction of new vaccines.

However, for those who are already infected, the treatment options focus on the symptoms of the infection since they can’t focus on genital wart cures. The symptoms of genital warts include any precancerous changes that are sometimes associated with the higher risk types of HPV viruses.

Treatment Options

Since there is no genital wart cures to choose from you will need to find the best treatment option for your needs through the help of your doctor. There are four primary conventional methods that your doctor will discuss with you and they will help you limit your choices based on the methods that have the greatest success for your type of HPV infection and genital warts.

The first method is to watch and wait. During the early stages most doctors will do this since sometimes the cell will change to precancerous and other times they will heal on their own, this would then eliminate the need for unnecessary treatments. The second option is to do cryotherapy to freeze the abnormal cells with liquid nitrogen. Then there is conization which is a cone biopsy to remove the abnormal areas. Finally there is LEEP or Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure which removes the abnormal cells with a painless electrical current.

Most of the time smaller genital warts will respond better to treatment than larger ones. Topical treatments work better on moist surfaces than they do on dry surfaces. After three treatments if the current method isn’t working then a doctor will often re-evaluate your condition and try another treatment option. Just remember that even though there is no genital wart cures to choose from you can still help treat your genital warts.