Seeking a Cure for Genital Warts
Article by Jerry Pickett
Seeking A Cure For Genital Warts
If you’re suffering from an infection of genital warts, the first thing you need to do is educate yourself a bit on what genital warts are and the most appropriate methods of treatment for you. If you’ve recently discovered the appearance of genital warts, then this article will help provide basic information as well as common treatments.
Occurrence in the US: Approximately 1 million new cases of genital warts are reported each year.
Appearance: Flesh-colored bumps, flat, small. They can be so tiny that they aren’t visible to the naked eye.
Placement: On men: Often on tip of penis, sometimes near the anus, or between the penis and scrotum. On women: On the vulva, between the posterior vulva junction and the anus, in the vagina, or on the cervix.
Root Virus: The virus that causes genital warts is commonly known as HPV (Human Papillomavirus). There are many different kinds of HPV; not all cause genital warts.
Causes: Genital warts are sexually transmitted. They can be spread through vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an HPV-infected partner.
Incubation Period: Potentially very long. This means that it can take many months or even years between the time of infection and the point when the warts are noticeable.
Avoiding treatment can potentially have some very unsettling consequences. Of course, if you are sexually active, then you will be infecting others. They can also cause cancer of the vulva, anus, vagina, or penis. Or they might just grow, and become more unsightly.
Also be aware that in some cases genital warts sometimes disappear without treatment. If you opt for the ‘wait and see’ method, it would likely take several months before you saw results. Also, there’s the equal possibility that in that time they will continue to grow. Further, if you have any sense of personal responsibility, you would have to abstain from sexual contact during that period.
Let’s look at a few of the common treatments of genital warts in some detail:
Imiquimod Cream: Results vary, but in general about one-half of the users get rid of genital warts between 8 and 16 weeks. Imiquimod is not a final cure, so new warts may appear during treatment. Side effects include redness, peeling, swelling and burning in the treated areas.
5-Fluorouracil Gel: Otherwise known as 5-FU, this one (unlike Imiquimod) can be used internally as well as externally. Unfortunately, it causes substantial burning, so it’s not widely used.
Podofilox Solution: Clears warts in 40%-80% of cases within 4 to 6 weeks. Available in 0.5% or 0.15% solutions. Side effects are usually mild, and include burning, redness and irritation. This solution is NOT to be used if pregnant.
There are also surgical treatments:
Cryotherapy: The treatment of genital warts by freezing with liquid nitrogen. Healing takes 10-20 days. Warts are successfully removed in 65-75% of cases.
Electrocautery: The treatment of genital warts by burning with a low-voltage electrified probe. Though it sounds quite harsh, it is effective in around 90% of cases. Healing generally takes 15-30 days.
Laser Surgery: This is the most expensive option. It is effective in around 25% to 55% of cases. Healing takes 15-30 days.
To reiterate: there is always the possibility, if you are ok with temporary celibacy, to wait and determine if they fall off themselves. Boosting your immune system helps with the process of clearing the HPV virus from your system, a process that can take from 6 months to a year. Despite being awash in old wives tales, this is an area that also has reported some success with home remedies, so if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on creams, solutions, or surgery, you can check out this option as well.
If you’re interested in a natural wart remedy that has recently proven very popular and garnered much acclaim, then check out www.MoleWartRemoval.com
About the Author
Jerry Pickett has extensively studied moles, warts and skin tags.