Genital Warts (HPV)
What is HPV?
HPV stands for human papilloma virus. This is a group of viruses that includes more than 100 different strains, or types. Over 30 of these types are sexually transmitted, and may infect the genital area, including the skin of the penis, labia, vulva, anus, or tissue covering the vagina and cervix. Some of these types are considered "high risk" that can cause abnormal Pap smears and cancer of the cervix, anus, or penis. Other types are “low-risk” and can cause mildly abnormal Pap smears and genital warts.
Approximately 20 million people are currently infected with HPV. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection. About 5.5 million Americans get a new genital HPV infection each year.
Transmission
- Vaginal, oral, or anal sex.
- Sometimes by genital touching.
- May be spread by sharing towels or other materials that have been exposed to the virus.
- Infected mother to her newborn during vaginal childbirth.
Signs & Symptoms
Symptoms, if any, usually appear sometime within 1-8 months of exposure, but it is possible to be exposed and not develop symptoms for months to years. The virus can live in the skin and mucous membranes without causing symptoms, but still be transmitted to others. Other times, the virus may cause visible warts anywhere in the genital area.
Both men and women:
- May appear as soft, moist, pink or red swellings. They can be raised or flat, single or multiple, small or large. Some cluster together forming a cauliflower-like shape. They can appear on the vulva, in or around the vagina or on the cervix, and on the penis, scrotum, groin, or thigh.
- May cause itching or burning in the genital area.
- Warts may go away on their own, remain unchanged, or grow and spread, both on the outside of the genital area, and internally as well.
- Warts may come back, even after going away or being removed.
Complications
Men and women:
- Warts may bleed if irritated
- Can impair fertility.
- Impaired sexual relations and functioning
- Some types can lead to certain types of cancer.
Pregnancy:
- Large warts can impair vaginal delivery and necessitate a surgical delivery.
- Babies who are born vaginally while their mother is infected can develop warts on the larynx (voice box).
The HPV and Cervical Cancer Connection:
- All types of HPV can cause mild Pap test abnormalities. Approximately 10 of the 30 identified genital HPV types can lead, in rare cases, to development of cervical cancer. Research has shown that for most women (90 percent), cervical HPV infection becomes undetectable within two years. Although only a small proportion of women have persistent infection, persistent infection with high types of HPV is the main risk factor for cervical cancer.
Diagnosis
A health care provider must diagnose warts.
- Visual inspection.
- Microscopic examination of removed tissue.
Treatment
- May be removed by electric cautery, frozen, or chemicals
Prevention
- Use of latex or polyurethane condoms correctly every time you have sex reduces the risk of HPV.
- Condoms do not provide complete protection from all STDs. Sores and lesions of other STDs in infected men and women may be present in areas not covered by the condom, resulting in transmission of infection to another person.
- Limit the number of sex partners.
- Practice sexual abstinence, or limit sexual contact to one uninfected partner.
- If you are a sexually active woman, have an annual pelvic examination including a Pap smear.
