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Genital warts   

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Condylomata acuminata; Penile warts; Human papilloma virus (HPV); Venereal wart; Condyloma

Treatment

Topical treatments to eradicate the lesions include trichloroacetic acid, podophyllum, and liquid nitrogen.

Surgical treatments include cryosurgery, electrocauterization, laser therapy, or surgical excision.

Sexual partners need to be examined by a health care provider and treated if warts are noted.

A follow-up examination by the health care provider should be done every few weeks after initial treatment, then self examination can be initiated, with the patient returning to the health care provider if warts reoccur.

Women with a history of genital warts, and women partners of men with a history of genital warts, should have Pap smears at least every 6 months (affected women may be advised to have Pap smears every 3 months after initial treatment of cervical warts).

Prognosis

With adequate identification and treatment, HPV outbreaks can usually be controlled. Lesions frequently reappear after treatment. Current treatment of HPV-associated lesions may reduce, but probably does not eliminate, the infectiousness of the genital warts. Normal skin and mucosa in the vicinity of HPV-associated lesions often contains HPV. It is thought that perhaps reactivation of latent infection rather than reinfection is responsible for wart recurrence, but this is still unknown. It is still unclear as to whether treatment of the lesions has an impact on future transmission.

Complications

At least 70 types of human papilloma virus have been identified, several of which have been associated with cervical and vulvar cancer. Lesions may become numerous and quite large, requiring more extensive treatment and follow-up procedures.

Call Your Health Care Provider If:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if a sexual partner is found to have genital warts, or if any of the described symptoms are noted. Adolescents appear to be extremely susceptible to HPV, and those having intercourse at a young age should be evaluated for HPV infection.

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