What type of infection is genital warts

But a doctor may prescribe medicine that you can use at home, such as podofilox lotion or gel or imiquimod cream. These products are not intended for the genital area and may cause serious burning.

It is important to remember that most infections are minor, without serious complications. Some cases of HPV infection and genital warts disappear without treatment, although human papillomavirus HPV may still be present in your body's cells.

Medicine may be used to destroy bothersome genital warts, relieve your symptoms, and reduce the amount of area affected by warts, particularly when the warts are:.

Topical medicine often is the first treatment. For safety, a doctor will apply the topical medicines that could damage the skin around the warts. You can apply other medicines at home. If warts return after one course of treatment with topical medicine, they are treated again only if there are clear reasons for retreatment.

Medicines are not used to treat abnormal cell changes found on a Pap test. Imiquimod and podofilox are typically the most effective medicine options that can be applied at home. Read the instructions carefully before using these medicines. Treatment for pregnant women includes trichloroacetic acid TCA , cryotherapy, laser therapy, loop electrosurgical excision procedure LEEP , and surgical removal by electrocautery or excision.

Warts on the vulva or penis that do not go away on their own or after treatment often are biopsied to rule out precancerous or cancerous conditions.

Removing genital warts does not cure an HPV infection. Warts may go away with topical treatment, but they may return, because HPV may still be in the body's cells. You may have surgery to remove genital warts if they are widespread and medicine or freezing cryotherapy fails to remove them. If you have a high-risk type of HPV that causes an abnormal Pap test, your doctor may recommend certain types of surgery. For more information about surgical methods to treat abnormal cell changes, see the topic Abnormal Pap Test.

Surgical choices for pregnant women with genital warts include electrocautery, surgical excision, loop electrosurgical excision LEEP , and laser surgery.

The success of surgery is related to the number of warts present. The success rate is higher and additional treatments are less likely to be required when surgery is done on fewer and smaller warts.

But surgery is less likely to be needed for a few small areas of warts. Kiley MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology. Author: Healthwise Staff. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.

Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.

To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Updated visitor guidelines. Top of the page. Genital Warts Human Papillomavirus. Topic Overview Is this topic for you?

If you are looking for information about cervical cell changes or cervical cancer, see: Abnormal Pap Test. Cervical Cancer. What is human papillomavirus HPV? What are genital warts? What causes HPV and genital warts? What are the symptoms? How are HPV and genital warts diagnosed? Sometimes the doctor takes a sample of tissue from the wart for testing. How are they treated? There is no cure for HPV, but the symptoms can be treated.

Can HPV and genital warts be prevented? Use latex condoms. Latex condoms may help reduce the risk of spreading genital warts, but they do not protect the entire genital area against skin-to-skin contact. Before you have sex with someone, talk to them about STIs. Find out whether he or she is at risk for them. Remember that a person can be infected without knowing it.

If you have symptoms of an STI, don't have sex. Do not have sex with anyone who has symptoms or who may have been exposed to an STI. Having several sex partners increases your risk for infection. Health Tools Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health. Decision Points focus on key medical care decisions that are important to many health problems. Cause HPV infection is caused by a virus. How the infection is spread transmission HPV is spread by direct contact.

The virus can be spread to or from the genitals, anus, mouth, or throat during sexual activities. But warts in the mouth or throat are extremely rare. Latex condoms can lower your risk of getting genital warts.

After the infection occurs, it may spread to other areas of the genitals or to the anal area. You can spread the virus even if you do not have any symptoms of infection or any visible warts. There is a small chance that a pregnant woman can pass the virus to her baby. Children can get genital warts from sexual abuse. Symptoms Human papillomavirus HPV infection Infection with the human papillomavirus HPV usually does not cause any symptoms and does not always produce visible genital warts.

Symptoms that may occur with genital warts include: Irritation. Genital warts Genital warts can be different sizes and shapes. They may be large, or they may be too small to be seen with the naked eye. They may appear individually or in groups. Warts may look like tiny bunches of cauliflower or like flat, white areas that are very difficult to see. In women and men, warts may appear in the groin, on and around the genitals, in the urethra , or in the rectum or anus. In women : Genital warts may appear around the anus or on the vulva , vagina, or cervix.

Women are often unaware of warts inside the vagina or on the cervix until a doctor finds them. In men : Genital warts may occur on the outside of the penis, on the scrotum , or around the anus. Men are often unaware they have genital warts, even when they can be seen, until the warts are identified by a doctor. Symptoms of genital warts may be similar to those of other conditions.

Common HPV types 6 and 11 produce visible warts. These warts may go away on their own, stay the same, or increase in number.

Other HPV types, such as 16 and 18, do not produce visible genital warts. These types, which may be found with a Pap test , are linked to precancerous cervical cell changes and cervical cancer. HPV infection and cervical cell changes In women, most precancerous or cancerous cell changes associated with HPV infection occur on the cervix. HPV infection and anal and penile cancer Among people who receive anal sex, HPV infection of the anal canal is associated with an increased risk of anal cancer.

HPV infection during pregnancy The presence of HPV and abnormal cell changes does not affect the outcome of the pregnancy. Here, learn how to recognize, treat, and prevent some common STIs.

Learn about three possible home remedies for genital warts. We also look at lifestyle changes that could help, and when you should see a doctor. What to know about genital warts Medically reviewed by Carolyn Kay, M. What are they? Pictures Prevalence Treatment Prevention Causes Diagnosis Outlook Genital warts are fleshy growths that develop around the genitals or anus. What are genital warts?

How common are genital warts? Medically reviewed by Carolyn Kay, M. Latest news Scientists identify new cause of vascular injury in type 2 diabetes.

Adolescent depression: Could school screening help? Related Coverage. What is human papillomavirus HPV? How long do genital warts last? What to know. Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph. What you need to know about sexually transmitted diseases STDs.

They may apply a mild acidic solution, which helps to make the warts more visible. Your doctor may also do a Pap test also known as a Pap smear , which involves taking a swab of the area to obtain cells from your cervix. These cells can then be tested for the presence of HPV. Certain types of HPV may cause abnormal results on a Pap test, which may indicate precancerous changes. If your doctor detects these abnormalities, you may need either more frequent screenings to monitor any changes or a specialized procedure called a colposcopy.

This determines what strain of HPV you have in your system. While visible genital warts often go away with time, HPV itself can linger in your skin cells. This means you may have several outbreaks over the course of your life. So managing symptoms is important because you want to avoid transmitting the virus to others. That said, genital warts can be passed on to others even when there are no visible warts or other symptoms.

You may wish to treat genital warts to relieve painful symptoms or to minimize their appearance. Your doctor can also remove the warts through these procedures:. Hand and genital warts are caused by different strains of HPV, and treatments designed for other areas of the body are often much stronger than treatments used on the genitals. Using the wrong treatments may do more harm than good. Some home remedies are touted as helpful in treating genital warts, but there is little evidence to support them.

Always check with your doctor before trying a home remedy. HPV vaccines called Gardasil and Gardasil 9 can protect men and women from the most common HPV strains that cause genital warts, and can also protect against strains of HPV that are linked to cervical cancer. A vaccine called Cervarix is also available. This vaccine protects against cervical cancer, but not against genital warts.

Individuals up to age 45 years can receive the HPV vaccine, as well as those as young as age 9. The vaccine is administered in a series of two or three shots, depending on age. Using a condom or a dental dam every time you have sex can also reduce your risk of contracting genital warts. The important thing is to use a physical barrier to prevent transmission. Community health organizations and sexual counseling centers in your local area also may be able to offer some guidance.

Note: All information on KidsHealth is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. All rights reserved. Find a Doctor. About Us. Community Programs. California Kids Care. International Services. Video Visits: Telemedicine. Locations Main Campus. Satellite Locations. Emergency Care. Urgent Care. Safe Sleep Practices. Pay Your Bill.