There are different types of genital warts. Which treatment you require depends on the size and type of warts you have.
All of these different types are caused by the same virus - the HPV virus - and are also known as "condyloma" or "penile/venereal warts".
They look like skin-colored growths located in or around the genital and anal areas.
Most types of genital warts are painless and tend to appear in clusters. If you suffer from such warts you should get treated before having sex again as they are highly contagious.
Different Types Of Warts And Their Treatment
Genital warts are usually soft and moist and tend to appear in "groups" of three to four. Note however, that this differs between patients and that some people will only have one or two warts while others may develop a large number of individual growths. When the warts go unnoticed, they grow and form small cauliflower-shaped clusters that are flesh-coloured.
HPV And Types Of Warts
There are more than a hundred different strains of the human papilloma virus, only a couple of which are responsible for most types of genital warts (as well as anal warts). The majority of genital warts are caused by HPV types 6 and 11. These warts will usually grow for 6 months after which they tend to stop growing. Other strains of HPV can cause warts on your feet or hands, which are less contagious than genital warts. A few strains of HPV are classified as high-risk, as they can lead to specific cancers.
Itchy Or Bleeding Sores?
You might read that genital warts can cause "mild pain" and that they may feel itchy or bleed. In fact, this only happens in rare cases, when warts reach a considerable size and/or if you scratch them off. If you think you have a wart, avoid any scratching (to avoid bleeding), and consult your doctor instead.
Genital Warts In Women
The different forms of genital warts which affect women can appear in or around the vagina, vulva, anus or near the neck of the womb. Often, the warts are too small for you to see or notice. Warts inside the vagina or anus can cause discomfort but they may also not cause any symptoms at all.
Two out of three of cases of genital warts are near the vulva
One out of three cases of genital warts are inside the vagina
One out of three cases are between the vagina and the anus
One out of four cases are around the anus
One out of ten cases are on the cervix
One out of twenty five cases are at the opening of the urethra
Genital Warts In Men
In men, genital warts are not as common as in women. They often appear on the tip of the penis but they can also appear around the anus, especially when the virus is transmitted during anal sex. Most types of warts will appear between one to three months after infection.
If you think you are infected you should get examined to avoid complications and to prevent that you transmit the infection to future partners. In about half of all cases, genital warts appear on the shaft of the penis, usually just below the foreskin.
In one out of three cases, the genital warts are around the anus
In one out of ten cases , the genital warts are on the head of the penis
In one out of ten cases, the genital warts are inside the urethra
In one out of twelve cases, the genital warts are under the foreskin
In about one out of thirty cases, the genital warts appear between the anus and scrotum
In one out of a hundred cases, the genital warts are on the scrotum
Different Types, Different Treatments
Some types of genital warts – usually the smaller ones – are easier to treat than others. Similarly, warts growing on moist skin tend to respond better to treatment than those located on dry skin. Most types of warts can be treated with creams such as Warticon and Aldara. However, should the warts be persistent you need to see a dermatologist and consider other treatment options such as surgically removing them, using cryosurgery (freezing off the warts with liquid nitrogen) or laser treatment.
