GENITAL WARTS AND HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS

Human Papilloma Virus has been implicated as a very significant factor in the causation of Carcinoma Cervix

Symptoms

Half of the people infected with HPV do not show any symptoms. When present, they are small, visible warts appearing at the tip of the penis or at the opening of vagina. In women, HPV also causes lesions in the cervix. Warts can occur anywhere on the shaft of penis or the scrotum in men, and anywhere around the labial area or inside the vagina in women. In women, an abnormal Pap smear may indicate cervical lesions, but a colposcopy is necessary to confirm this.

Treatment

Warts are pinpoint infections, and can be treated as such by local application of certain chemical solutions used to burn warts from the skin. Now with advent of cryosurgery, Liquid nitrogen or lasers are commonly used. A six-month check-up is necessary to confirm that all the warts were destroyed, and even then a small percentage of people may experience a recurrence of warts within 18 months.

Transmission

The virus is transmitted through sexual contact. Warts are considered very contagious even in people who show no visible symptoms.

| Warts | Genital Warts |