Genital Warts Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Genital warts are skin diseases characterized by the appearance of a kind of reddish or black flesh in the genital area or anus. Sometimes genital warts look like cauliflower. Genital warts are medically known as condyloma acuminata.
This disease is a sexually transmitted disease. Therefore, some people with genital warts also experience other sexually transmitted diseases. Genital warts can affect anyone, both women and men.
Symptoms
Genital warts, as the name suggests, are in the form of warts (like flesh) that are attached to the genital area – they can be on the penis, vagina or anus. They vary in size, from a few millimeters to several centimeters.
Genital warts do not cause pain but can cause complaints of itching. Sometimes genital warts can also bleed. If genital warts cover the urinary opening, obstruction of urine can also occur.
Reason
Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). In this world, there are more than 100 types of the HPV virus. However, not all types of the HPV virus can cause genital warts. The types of HPV viruses that most often cause genital warts are types 6 and 11. These viruses infect areas of the skin due to sores on the skin which are usually triggered by sexual activity.
People who are more prone to experiencing genital warts are people who have sex with multiple partners. People who start sexual intercourse since their teens are also known to be prone to experiencing genital warts.
Diagnosis
Generally, by conducting detailed medical interviews with patients and conducting direct examinations of genital warts, doctors can confirm the presence of genital warts. If genital warts are small, sometimes it is necessary to do an examination using 5% acetic acid to see skin disorders more clearly.
If genital warts extend into the vagina and cervix, a colposcopy examination by inserting the camera into the vagina is necessary. If there are genital warts, a pap smear examination in women also needs to be done to see if cervical cancer is present. This is necessary because genital warts and cervical cancer are both caused by the HPV virus.
Treatment
Genital warts cannot be treated alone but must be treated by a skin and genital specialist. There are several therapies that can be used to treat genital warts. Among others are:
- Cryotherapy, which is the technique of freezing genital warts using liquid nitrogen. This is the most preferred treatment technique because it is the safest.
- Laser is especially used for recurrent genital warts.
- Electrodesiccation, which is a treatment using electric shocks to destroy genital warts.
Other treatments using topical medications containing podophylline, trichloroacetic acid, or 5-fluorouracil can also be done but the results are not very effective.
Prevention
The HPV vaccine can prevent genital warts. This vaccine can be given to both men and women aged 9–26 years. The HPV vaccine has been shown to be effective in preventing infection with HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18.
However, the most important thing is to avoid sexual intercourse by changing partners and using condoms when having sexual intercourse. People who are experiencing genital warts should not have sexual intercourse with anyone until the infection is completely cured.