Genital warts can appear in both males and females in the form of flesh–colored bumps or tiny, cauliflower-like bumps in the genital area and anal region. Sometimes genital warts can be so small that you can't see. The virus that causes genital warts is known as human papillomavirus (HPV). There are many kinds of HPV but not all of them cause genital warts. Genital warts can be treated with medications and surgery but sometimes they can be the basis of serious diseases like cervical cancer and cancer of the penis.

In medical terms, genital warts are also known as condyloma acuminatum or venereal warts and are one of the most common types of sexually transmitted diseases. They usually affect the moist tissues of the genital area.

Symptoms of Genital Warts

Although genital warts cause no obvious symptoms but small, flesh-colored or gray swellings in your genital area, several warts close together that take on a cauliflower shape, itching or discomfort in your genital area and bleeding with intercourse can be some signs of the this problem.

Normally, it takes at least 2-4 weeks or sometimes months for appearance of genital warts after infection. In women, they can grow on the lips of the vulva, the walls of the vagina, the area between the external genitals and the anus, and the cervix. While in men, they can grow on the penis or underneath the foreskin, near the anus, or between the penis and the scrotum.

Transmission

Genital warts rapidly transmit from an infected person to the other when they have any type of sexual contact with each other like vaginal, anal or even oral. Skin-to-skin contact can be another major reason of formation of genital warts. Usually three months of sexual intercourse with infected partner can transmit HPV in you thus causing genital warts. Genital warts can easily affect people with many sexual partners or who do not practice safe sex.

Causes of Genital Warts

HPV infections are of different types and are over hundred in numbers, but around 35-40 of these have the potential to infect the genital area. And these genital wart causing viruses are categorized into two parts according to their intensity - less risky or more risky. The HPV causing genital warts, especially a few or too many bumps, can be termed as less risky types. While the more risky HPV infections can lead to cancers of the cervix or vagina to women and cancer of penis to men.

Diagnosis

The doctor diagnoses the genital warts through a clinical examination by swabbing the skin with acetic acid. The genital warts will then appear as white patches on the skin. There are some specific tests that can also help in determining HPV infection like Pap smear, a sample of secretions and superficial cells of the uterine cervix and uterus; examined with a microscope to detect any abnormal cells. The doctor can also conduct primary test for cervical cancer or sometimes try to detect certain symptoms that become prominent before cervical cancer. Even detection of HPV DNA can point out HPV infection.

Treatment of Genital Warts

It is important that both partners are treated. Genital warts are easy to treat when they are small and few. There are various techniques to treat genital warts like fluorouracil cream, trichloroacetic acid, etc. Fluorouracil cream is also not recommended for pregnant women. Similarly, there are three methods to remove small warts – cryosurgery in which extreme cold (usually liquid nitrogen) is used to destroy unwanted tissue, electrocautery in which a needle heated by an electric current is applied to destroy tissue and laser treatment. And if you are having comparatively larger warts and fail to get effective result through normal treatment methods, then you would have to undergo operation to get rid of them.

Prevention

Since genital warts spread through sexual contact, it’s better to have sexual contact with one partner instead of many to avoid the risk of transmission of HPV.

Use condoms to decrease the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STD). Latex condoms provide greater protection than natural-membrane condoms. The female condom, made of polyurethane, is also considered effective against STDs.

Avoid using douche as it can increase the risk of contracting STDs because it can change the natural flora of the vagina and may flush bacteria higher into the genital tract.

If your partner gets infected by genital warts, avoid having sexual intercourse till the treatment of warts.

There is also a vaccine available in the market known as Gardasil can be given to the females from 9-26 years of age. This vaccine prevents HPV infection and is given in the form of injections for three times over a 6-month period.