What are Genital Warts?
When most people hear the word “genital warts” they get a bit worried. This is not only because it is a sexually transmitted disease but also because not many people know genital warts. Another common name for genital warts is venereal warts or the lesser known name of condylomata acuminate. Furthermore, these types of warts are the most common form of sexually transmitted diseases.
Genital warts will form on the moist tissues in and around the area of your genitals. Most often they are quite small and look like bumps or they look like the heads of cauliflower. However, not all genital warts are small as some get larger and even appear in large clusters. These symptoms of the HPV virus most often are seen anywhere’s from one week to one month after the initial infection. When you are searching for answer on genital warts it is important to know what they look like so that you can spot them.
You will find that they most often appear on the cervix and vulva as well as on the in and around the vagina, on that area between the vagina and anus, and on the anus itself. On the other hand, when a man has genital warts they will appear on the tip and shaft of the penis, as wall as on the scrotum and anus. In fact, there have been a few cases where these warts have been found on the groin and thighs as well.
Furthermore, even though there are treatments for your genital warts they are still a major health concern. The reason for this is that the virus that causes them is called the human papillomavirus (HPV). This virus has been linked to cervical cancer as well as other genital cancers.
What’s more, when looking into genital warts you can find research that shows there are 100 different types of the HPV. These are the categorized types;
• Low-risk: HPV 1,2, and 3; these can be found on your hands, feet, and other areas of your body
• HPV 6 and 11; these can be found on the genitals or anus (genital warts)
• High-risk: HPV 16 and 18; this particular HPV can cause cancer of the cervix, anus, and other external genitals.
The HPV types that cause genital warts are not commonly known to cause cancer, but it can in some instance happen. Furthermore, genital warts are transmitted through sexual activity, and therefore all your partners should be tested. In addition to your partners however, it is important to note that infants that were born vaginally can also have HPV if the mother had genital warts during delivery. In these cases it is important to consider other ways to deliver.