How to Treat Genital Warts

Few people realize that genital warts, although caused by a virus, can be virtually cured. Dr. Todd Minars of Minars Dermatology in Hollywood, Florida discusses how we get genital warts, what treatments are available, and why it’s important to have them looked at by a professional.

Genital warts, like regular warts, are caused by a virus. In this case it’s HPV, or the human papillomavirus. Genital warts are bumps or multiple bumps that appear in the genital areas, including the vagina, cervix, penis and rectum. They are contagious through skin-to-skin contact, which is why this type of wart is considered an STD, or sexually-transmitted disease.

In most countries, genital warts, also known as condylomata acuminata or venereal warts, are the most common STD. Because it is viral, it is sometimes difficult to get rid of. However, you can cure genital warts, as opposed to other viruses, such as herpes. While herpes can lie dormant for years, sometimes indefinitely, there is no cure.

Using Destructive Techniques

The way we treat genital warts is mainly through destructive techniques. We do not have an elegant way to treat them, we do things to destroy them such as freezing them with liquid nitrogen or using certain topical medicines such as acids, which are destructive.

These all sound a lot worse than they actually are. We sometimes do something as simple as shave or cut off the wart. Sometimes that’s effective as they are just gone immediately, so there is no need to wait for more treatments to have effect.

We have a few prescriptions that are somewhat effective that we use in conjunction with office procedures. We will use Condylox gel or Aldara cream. We use those as well for home therapy in between visits to us. Usually it takes anywhere from two to four treatments to really get rid of warts but they are curable.

Treat Your Partner

The most important thing when trying to cure them is treating the partner. And if it is a heterosexual male, he has to make sure that his female partner gets regular pap smears because sometimes women will have HPV and not necessarily have warts. The way to detect that is with a pap smear. HPV can cause cervical cancer if it goes undetected, and therefore it can go untreated.

However, there is now one and maybe two FDA-approved vaccines for HPV, which seem to be very effective. There is no evidence it helps as a treatment once you have warts but it seems to work as a prevention.

Apart from being unsightly and unpleasant, genital warts are much less likely to cause cancers in men. But in some uncircumcised men they can cause penile cancer, and in active homosexual men they can cause anal cancer. And rarely there is a type of skin cancer that occurs in the groin due to HPV. But for the most part the cancer concern is for females.

There is no effective cure for genital warts available without prescription, which is why it’s important to see a physician if you suspect you or your partner has them. Over-the-counter medications aren’t designed for genital area use and can be dangerous, as can those advertised on the Internet. If you are embarrassed, it’s vital to put aside your fears and see a doctor.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.