Genital warts can also occur around the anus and the scientific name for them is condyloma acuminata. They are the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and are caused by the human papillomavirus or HPV. It is not a single virus and it is a group of about one-fifty to two-hundred viruses are named after a lesion and cause papilloma’s so it is known as the human papillomavirus. HPV 6 and 11 are responsible for ninety-percent of general warts are considered to be low-risk HPV. There are roughly twelve out of the hundred and fifty HPVs have been identified as high and causing cancer. People will notice that they cause either a pink or a flesh-colored bump in the genital area or around the anus.
What are the symptoms of Genital Warts?
A patient who has genital warts will often present noticing something new in the vaginal area, so often it presents as a little lump or bump. Sometimes, people noticed something on self-inspection. Occasionally there is no lump or bump present, but there might just be some area of irritation and itching that does not resolve with typical treatment. Genital warts can either be flat and smooth or they can be rough in texture and they can cause itching, bleeding, burning, tenderness, and in women, they can cause vaginal discharge and they can also cause pain. These are asymptomatic in some people.
When to Consult a Physician
Consult your doctor or a therapist immediately if you are experiencing any of the symptoms described above. Your doctor should evaluate you for other possible causes of your symptoms before treating Genital Warts. Together, you and your doctor can determine the best way to manage your symptoms. People should consult a physician if they have a lesion in the genital area where your anus and it is important to see a doctor to have it evaluated.
What are the risk factors of Genital Warts?
Several well-established risk factors are developing Genital Warts. Bad habits like smoking and drinking alcohol may increase the severity of symptoms. People who are below the age of thirty are more likely to develop this condition and also people who have a weakened immune system may often diagnose with Genital Warts.
What is the diagnosis of Genital Warts?
A physician can perform an exam and observe different bumps and lumps that you are noticed and confirm whether they are genital warts or not. If they are then some things can do to reduce the number of warts although there is no way to treat them. If a doctor is unsure of the diagnosis then he or she may send a biopsy for further analysis. When people diagnosed with HPV and your doctor may suggest that you get an HIV test as if you have one sexually transmitted infection and you have risks of other infections too. People with HIV are more likely to get warts however in the majority of people with genital warts they do not have HIV.
In the case of women, a physician may suggest a pregnancy test because some of the treatments should not be given to pregnant women. In general, if a person lesion or your warts are less than one centimeter in size or if each of them is less than one centimeter in size then they can be treated medically. The first treatment can be given in your physician’s office. If your warts are greater than one centimeter and, likely, medical treatment will not be successful and people should be referred to a surgeon or a gynecologist to have them removed.
What are the treatment options available for Genital Warts?
There are treatments for this which can include HPV Vaccine or Gardasil Vaccine, Podophyllin, trichloroacetic acid or TCA, Imiquimod, and Cryotherapy. Let’s discuss the treatment options in detail.
HPV Vaccine or Gardasil Vaccine
HPV vaccine prevents HPV 6 and 11 which are the two most common subtypes which account for ninety-percent of genital warts. This vaccine also prevents infection with the two most common types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer and that’s 16 and 18. People get double protection against cervical warts and cervical cancer with the Gardasil vaccine or HPV vaccine. This vaccine is now used to be only recommended in women and now recommend that in men as well and the age range to get this 3-part vaccine is between age nine and twenty-six.
Gardasil vaccine prevents infection with 6,11,16, and 18 subtypes of HPV. 6 and 11 are the most common causes of warts and 16 and 18 are the most common causes of cervical cancer.
Normally, genital warts will go away in about one to two years on their own without doing anything so people don’t have to get them treated but if they are causing you symptoms or people don’t like the sight of them then people can get them treated. The following are the side effects of Human Papillomavirus and it includes
- Pain at the injection site
- A high temperature of the body
- Pain in the head
- Low levels of energy
- Unable to sleep or getting difficulty in sleeping
Podophyllin
Podophyllin is the first option of treatment for treating genital warts. This treatment is not okay to the pregnant women and it shouldn’t go in the inside of the giant vagina or the inside of the rectum because it is not good to be absorbed into your bloodstream. Once it is applied to warts it is allowed to dry and then it is Washed off within six hours. It should be applied twice daily but no more than a half milliliter should be applied total over the day and people should apply it twice a day for three days and then a rest period for four days and then you can repeat this cycle for up to four times.
Trichloroacetic Acid or TCA
Another treatment option is trichloroacetic acid or TCA. This is a better option or this is a safe option for pregnant women or if the lesions are inside your vagina or your rectum. It is safe both in pregnancy and it doesn’t get absorbed into a person’s bloodstream. Your physician can apply in the hospital and it is good to have like Vaseline or some sort of a barrier appointment around the wart to prevent it from being absorbed touch by the skin because it can burn. It can be applied weekly and usually, it will take four to six weeks or you can just apply it until the lesions have cleared.
Imiquimod
The other treatment option for treating Genital warts is imiquimod and this type of treatment is not recommended to pregnant women. Imiquimod is a cream that’s in a five-percent solution applied once daily at bedtime and it is used three times a week and can be used for up to sixteen weeks. The area should be washed with soap and water six to ten hours after applying to the affected area.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is another treatment option but your physician may not recommend this to you because it is nitrous oxide or liquid nitrogen spray. This treatment option is recommendable to pregnant women and it is repeated every one to two weeks. Cryotherapy is very painful when applied and can cause blistering and ulceration and then it can cause the skin to be hypo-pigmented or a lighter color after the treatment.
How do you prevent Genital Warts?
To prevent genital warts, it is important to limit the number of sexual partners that you have. This is the single most important thing to do in preventing genital warts. It is best to have one sexual partner and this is not only to HPV but to prevent all sorts of sexually transmitted infections. Always wearing a condom when you have sex is the best way to prevent this condition from occurring to you. Although condoms do protect against genital warts that are underneath the condom, they do not prevent warts that are can be on the outside of the area protected by the condom.
Conclusion
Identifying genital warts and seeing a physician and also limiting sexual partners is the best way to treat Genital Warts. Wearing condoms and getting the Gardasil vaccine also helps people to ease the symptoms of this condition. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. People choose different options for dealing with the symptoms associated with Genital warts.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2492590/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5288230/
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2724027
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441884/
Sirisha B 
Raju Ch