Medical Questions » Venereal Diseases (STD) Questions » Question No. 1015
| Question: | A friend of mine contracted genital warts and had intercourse with another female. Please teli me all about these horrible things. How serious are they? |
| Answer: | The human papilloma virus (HPV) is responsible for genital wart infections, and it is transmitted from one person to another only by sexual intercourse, or other intimate contact. The obvious result of infection with this virus, is the growth of warts, sometimes of quite a large size, on the penis in men and in the genital area of women. They may appear as flat, pale areas on the skin, or the dark coloured, irregularly shaped lumps more commonly associated with warts. Both men and women can be carriers of the virus from one sexual partner to another, without being aware that they are infected. Only when the warts become large and obvious does the victim seek attention.
If a woman is infected by HPV, she may develop genital warts not only around the outside of her genitals, but internally where they are difficult to detect. There may in fact, be no warts present at all, but once the virus enters the vagina, it can attack the cervix, which is the opening into the womb (uterus).
HPV infections of the cervix may cause cancer of the cervix. It does not happen immediately, and may take some years to develop, but a significant proportion of women with this infection will develop cancer. Cancer of the cervix has few early signs, and is often not detected until it is well advanced and difficult to treat.
Every woman should have regular Pap smear tests every year or two while she is sexually active. These tests can detect this type of cancer, genital wart infections and other gynaecological problems at an early stage. When detected early, the cancer can be treated effectively, and completely cured.
The genital warts themselves, in both men and women, can be treated by destroying the warts with acid paints or ointments, freezing the warts with liquid nitrogen, by burning them away with an electric needle or lasers, or by using a special cream (Akkra). |
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