Medical Questions » Venereal Diseases (STD) Questions » Question No. 1016
| Question: | I have a most embarrassinq problem that I am afraid to discuss with my doctor. 1 have some warty like growths around the head of my penis. Are they dangerous? |
| Answer: | Genital warts are the probable cause of your problem. They are not particularly serious in men, but can cause significant problems, including a high risk of cancer of the cervix, to your female sexual partners.
Genital warts are caused by a virus. They occur in both men and women, but for obvious reasons are more easily seen in the male. They are passed from one person to another during sex, but it may be many months before the warts start growing after the infection is caught. The body eventually manages to defeat the disease, but his may take years, and in the meantime you can pass the infection on.
The infection can cause warty growths as large as a golf ball if they are neglected. For this reason, treatment should be sought as soon as the warts are seen. This will involve removing the warts and a small amount of surrounding tissue by regularly applying a special cream, freezing, acid application or burning. Regrowth after treatment is common, and should receive further immediate medical attention.
You will remain infectious until every last virus has been destroyed, and you will not know this until you have been free of wart growth for at least 6 months. |
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