Genital warts
The symptoms, the tests and the treatments.
What are they?
A sexually transmitted infection called HPV, which stands for Human Papilloma Virus, but known in simple terms as genital warts. Warts are the second most common STI (68,824 diagnoses in 2005).
How are they caught?
Genital warts are picked up and passed on via skin-to-skin contact, mostly during sex. Genital warts are unlikely to spread to other parts of the body.
What are the symptoms?
- Flat, hard or cauliflower-like lumps on the skin of the genitals or around the anus that appear one to three months after contact with an infected person;
- They can range from white to pink in colour;
- There can be several warts, or just one, and they vary in size;
- Warts are mostly painless, but sometimes they are itchy;
- HPV can also cause flat warts or infection that is not visible to the naked eye.
Tests and treatment
If you think you might have a sexually transmitted infection, sort it out straight away. Go to your nearest genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic, available at most large hospitals. GUM clinics give free and confidential advice and treatment. Alternatively, make an appointment to see your GP.
- At the clinic, the doctor or nurse can usually identify warts just by looking;
- Sometimes weak vinegar/acetic acid is sprayed onto the area; any warts that have gone undetected - because they are so small - will turn visibly white;
- Warts can be removed by painting them with a solution called Podophyllin;
- Warts can also be removed by liquid nitrogen or laser treatment;
- Never try to treat genital warts yourself at home. They can only be removed successfully by a medical professional;
- It can take a long time to get rid of warts, and treatment often has to be repeated several times;
Complications
Some strains of HPV have been linked to cancer of the cervix, so women who have had warts may need more regular smear tests.
Reduce your risk of infection. Make sex safer by using condoms every time.
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