About this topic
Genital warts are a sexually-transmitted disease or STD. They are caused by an infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). These warts are soft, moist, and pink or flesh colored. They are growths or bumps in the genital area. They may look like a skin tag, a group of bumps, or a small mass that looks like cauliflower. Genital warts may appear any place in your genital area. They can also show up in your mouth or throat. You can get the infection during oral, vaginal, or anal sex with an infected sex partner. There are often no signs of illness. The warts may bleed, itch, or burn when rubbed or irritated. ‚
There are many ways to treat genital warts. Your doctor may give you drugs to take or to spread on the skin. Other times, the wart is treated with laser treatment or freezing. Sometimes, surgery is needed to remove the wart. Some warts go away without any treatment. Warts may spread to other areas of the skin. This may happen even after they have been removed. Getting rid of the wart does not get rid of the virus that caused it. You may get a wart in a new spot or back in the same spot. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Avoid sexual contact until treatment is finished and the doctor says you will not spread the infection to anyone else.
- Take lukewarm baths. Sit in a warm bath 3 to 4 times a day. This may help ease itching and pain. Do not rub the area. Instead, pat the area dry with a clean towel.
- Do not touch or scratch the warts. This may spread the infection to other parts of your body.
- Only use drugs given to you by your doctor to treat your warts. Drugs to treat common warts and foot warts cannot be used on genital warts.
If you had surgery, ask your doctor about: ‚
- How often you should change your dressing. You may need to wear a sanitary napkin or gauze. You may have some bleeding or drainage.
- If your cut site is bleeding or swells up, use steady pressure on the area for a few minutes.
- Ask your doctor when to bathe, shower, or soak in the water.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- Women may need to have regular Pap smear tests more often. Talk to your doctor about the right screening schedule for you.
- You may want to join a support group. Getting help and support may help you deal with your infection. Talking with others who have the same infection may help you feel better.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Treat HPV infection
- Help with pain and swelling
- Relieve itching
Will physical activity be limited?
Physical activity may not be limited. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Certain types of HPV may lead to cervical cancer and other cancers in the affected area.
- Pregnant women may pass the infection to their baby at birth. They may also have trouble giving birth. The warts may get larger during pregnancy. Warts in or near the vaginal opening may block the birth canal during delivery. This may also cause you to have trouble passing urine.
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- The only sure way to keep from getting or passing on a sexually-transmitted infection is to not have sexual contact with anyone. This infection may be spread even if you do not have any signs of illness.
- Get vaccinated against HPV. This can protect you against any type of HPV and cervical cancer.
- Avoid contact with any sex partner known to have the infection.
- If you have sex, use latex condoms to reduce spread of infection.
- Stop smoking. Smokers have a higher risk to have genital warts. This may also trigger the genital warts to come back. Ask for help if you have problems quitting.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of a very bad reaction when the drug is taken. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Go to the ER right away.
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, very bad sore throat, pain with passing urine, mouth sores, a wound that will not heal, or anal itching or pain.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the wound.
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you how to avoid passing the infection on to others.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have swelling, redness, warmth, or pain around my wound.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Dermatology ‚
http://www.aad.org/skin-conditions/dermatology-a-to-z/genital-warts ‚
FamilyDoctor.org ‚
http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/genital-warts.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚