Genital Warts Treatment for Women
Genital warts are sneaky because they cause little or no symptoms. Many individuals will have genital warts and not even know it. However, they are passing their warts off to others through sexual intercourse. These warts are caused by a virus called HPV. It happens to be one of the most common sexually transmitted viruses in the world today. Women are more adversely affected by this virus than men. Read on to learn more about genital warts treatment for women.
HPV stands for human papillomavirus. This is a very common virus that can infect men and women alike. There are over 100 types of HPV but only approximately 40 of these types have the potential to infect the genital areas. There are certain types of HPV that are high risk for causing cancer. In fact, researchers now believe that HPV causes 100% of the cases of cervical cancer in women.
If a woman has warts it is important that she sees her doctor for genital warts treatment. Not all cases of genital warts will lead to cervical cancer, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Your doctor will look for warts by applying acetic acid to the surface of the cervix. Acetic acid will make the warts appear white. The doctor will remove a sample of these cells from the cervix to send to the lab for further identification.
Women who test positive for cervical warts will need to have them removed. There are several options when it comes to genital warts treatment for women. These options can depend upon the location of the warts, the severity of the warts and the recurrence of the warts. Warts that are small and sparsely distributed can be removed by applying a solution that burns them off. If the warts are visible on the outside of the vagina this can be applied by the patient.
However, warts that are on the inside of the vagina and on the cervix will have to have genital warts treatment performed by the physician. He may choose to use a solution to freeze or burn the warts off. This can be done in the office. Another option he may choose is to use a laser to burn them off. This procedure must only be performed by a qualified doctor, and it can be quite expensive.
Some women have warts on the cervix that are very high risk for cancer. These warts may be removed during a surgical procedure. In rare cases, if the warts are recurring and the woman is finished having children, she may decide to have a complete hysterectomy to remove the infected cervix. This will eliminate her chances for developing cervical cancer that can spread to the uterus and ovaries.
Keep in mind that even after genital warts treatment there is a chance the warts will return. This is because there is no cure for the virus that causes genital warts.