Also
known as: Condyloma, Venereal Warts, Anal Warts, Human Papilloma
Virus, HPV
Intro
There are close to 100 different types of human papillomavirus
(HPV) that cause everything from hand and plantar warts to esophageal
and cervical cancer. More than 10 types infect your anal and genital
region and can cause bothersome genital warts or even precancerous
or cancerous growths. Approximately 60 percent of men without
HIV and over 90 percent of men with HIV who have sex with men
carry HPV in their anal canals and most don't even know it. The
virus can remain dormant in your body for years and then suddenly
grow into a wart. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) estimates close to 1 million new HPV infections each year
with more than 24 million people in the U.S. already infected.
Once you have the virus, you may have it for life.
What
is it?
Condyloma are warts that typically grow in warm, moist areas.
The most common sites are in and and around your anus or genital
regions. They can also spread down into your urethra or onto your
face, underarms, thighs, and under your breasts. Warts can even
appear inside your mouth, but this is rare. Because the virus
needs a type of skin cell to grow in, the warts cannot spread
higher up into your colon or uterus. The warts grow much better
in your anus or cervix than they do on a man's penis (which explains
why you may have never had sex with a man with warts, but you
got them anyway). He probably carried the virus on his penis where
it didn't grow until it landed inside your cervix (or anus) where
it did grow. The wart itself is not actually the virus, but your
body's reaction to the virus within its cells. The different HPV
types are numbered to distinguish them from each other. Types
6 and 11 are most likely to cause genital warts, and types 16
and 18 frequently cause precancerous growths.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of genital warts is often made visually by doctors
who recognize their distinct appearance. Although typically the
warts look white, they can be lighter or darker than your normal
skin. If you have anal or vulvar warts, your doctor must also
look inside to be sure that you don't have warts further up. What
you see on the outside is often just the tip of the iceberg with
more severe warts lurking on the inside. Sometimes warts can have
an atypical appearance, resembling a skin blemish or mole, and
the diagnosis is harder to make.
Symptoms
Warts are generally painless and the only indication that you
have them is the tiny bumps you feel and/or see. Occasionally
they cause itching or other skin irritation. When anal warts become
large they can cause bleeding and pain with bowel movements.
How
do you get it?
The human papillomavirus spreads between sexual partners during
close skin to skin contact -- penetration is not necessary and
a condom may not protect you. Although the type of HPV that causes
genital warts won't grow on toys and grow rarely on fingers, they
can carry the virus between partners. You can also carry the virus
from one part of your body to another. Warts grow much better
inside your anus or vagina so most people never see warts on a
partner's penis but catch the infection nevertheless.
How
to treat it?
There are many different ways to treat condyloma. Therapy for
genital warts can be divided into three main categories: topical,
surgical or immunotherapy. Topical therapy involves the physical
destruction of the wart with a variety of chemicals, whereas immunotherapy
stimulates your body's own defenses to kill warts. Surgery actually
removes the warts.
You
should expect your warts to come back, so go for frequent checkups.
Recurrences caught early can generally be handled easily in the
doctor's office without pain or surgery. Let it go and you could
end up right back where you started. If your warts keep coming
back, it could be that your doctor is missing the root of the
infection. You might have warts inside your anus, penis or vagina
that keep seeding the external skin. Occasionally, your body's
own natural defenses will mount an immunologic response to the
HPV infection and kill your warts. This is a rare phenomenon and
I would not count on it. Get your warts treated before they get
out of hand.
Prevention
A condom may not protect you. It does not cover the base of a
man's penis, his pubic hair or scrotum (all places where the human
papillomavirus lurk). Skin to skin contact is all that is necessary
so rubbing during foreplay (when a condom often isn't used) can
deposit the virus as can fingers or toys. Washing with soap and
water after sex can help reduce your chances of infection.
Incubation
period
Although most doctors feel that the average incubation time for
warts to appear is six weeks to three months, the virus can remain
dormant in your cells for years before (if ever) it grows into
a wart.
Sex
HPV is sexually transmitted, but does not require penetration.
Close skin to skin contact is more than enough to spread the virus
between partners, as are fingers and toys. Warts grow much better
inside your anus or vagina. Many people never see warts on a partner's
penis but catch the infection regardless.
Prevalence
More than 24 million Americans carry HPV, and there are approximately
one million new infections each year.
Print this page
Back
To Main Menu
