Genital Warts
Genital warts is a highly contagious sexually transmitted infection. Caused by some variants of the Human papillomavirus, typically HPV 6 and HPV 11, it is spread during oral, genital, or anal sex with an infected partner. Most people who acquire those strains never develop warts or any other symptoms. HPV is also responsible for over 90% of all cases of cervical cancer.
Genital warts often occur in clusters and can be very tiny or can spread into large masses in the genital or anal area. In women the warts occur on the outside and inside of the vagina, on the cervix, or around the anus. While genital warts are approximately as prevalent in men, the symptoms of the disease may be less obvious. When present, they usually are seen on the tip of the penis. They also may be found on the shaft of the penis, on the scrotum, or around the anus. Rarely, genital warts also can develop in the mouth or throat of a person who has had oral sex with an infected person.
Genital warts often disappear even without treatment. In other cases, they eventually may develop a fleshy, small raised growth. There is no way to predict whether the warts will grow or disappear. Although treatments can get rid of the warts, they do not get rid of the HPV virus, so warts can recur after treatment. The body's immune system typically clears the virus anywhere from 8 to 13 months, but it occasionally remains in the body for a lifetime. The state of the immune system determines the chances of ridding the virus entirely and can be affected by factors such as HIV infection, certain medications, stress, or illness.
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Genital Warts
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