Genital Warts are caused by a viral skin infection called the human papillomavirus (HPV). They are skin coloured bumps, fleshy growths or changes to the skin that appear on the genital area: on the penis, vagina or around the anus. They don’t normally hurt or cause any long term harm, but they can look unsightly and many people feel distressed by them. They are very common in England – they are the second most common sexually transmitted infection after Chlamydia.
Symptoms of Genital warts
Genital warts appear on moist surfaces, especially at the entrance of the vagina and rectum in women. In men and women, they can appear anywhere in the genital or anal area. They may be small, flat, flesh-colored bumps or tiny, cauliflower-like bumps. Individual warts usually measure 1 millimeter to 2 millimeters in diameter – much smaller than the diameter of a pencil eraser – but clusters can be quite large. In some cases, warts can be so small that you can't see them. Genital warts may not cause any symptoms, or they may cause itching, burning, tenderness or pain.
Diagnosing genital warts
Women - genital warts may exist on the vulva, cervix, upper thighs, inside the vagina, on the anus, and inside the anus. (vulva = lips around the opening of the vagina. Cervix = entrance to the uterus or womb)
Men - genital warts may exist on the penis, scrotum, urethra, upper thighs, on the anus, and inside the anus. (urethra = tube than urine passes through. scrotum = sac that holds the testicles)
Oral sex raises the risk of genital warts developing in the mouth or throat.
A patient needs to be examined by a health care professional - this could be a nurse - to confirm a diagnosis of genital warts. In the UK people can either go to their GP (general practitioner, primary care physician), a GUM (genitourinary medicine) clinic, or a sexual health clinic.
Even if a person's partner has no symptoms it is still possible to have genital warts. People should go for a checkup if:
The patient or partner has genital warts symptoms
The patient recently had unprotected sex with a new partner
The patient or partner have had unprotected sex with somebody else
The patient's partner tells him/her that he/she has an STD
The patient has an STD
The patient is pregnant
The patient is trying to get pregnant
A healthcare professional can usually diagnose genital warts if any are visible. The examination may involve looking inside the vagina or anus. On rare occasions a biopsy of the wart may be taken.
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