Venereal warts are a sexually transmitted infection
which is caused by the human papillomavirus. Unfortunately,
once a person has the virus in their body, it will
remain there. Venereal
warts can be removed but as the virus is always
there, then there is a chance the warts will return.
Both men and women can contract venereal warts. This
disease affects everyone who contracts it no matter
what your sexuality.
The First Signs of an Infection
There is an approximately three months incubation period before the first signs of venereal warts show. As the incubation period is so long, it means that a person may have contracted the disease but, being unaware that this has happened, then spread it to many other people during that time. The first and most obvious symptom is the appearance of small bumps on the genitals. In women, these bumps can also grow on the cervix and may not be noticeable until a pap smear comes back as abnormal. The bumps can be so small that an infected person may not know they have venereal warts and go on to spread them unwittingly.
Discharge and Itch
Many people who contract venereal warts, or have an outbreak for the first time, will notice that their genitals are unusually itchy. Some people may dismiss this itching as a yeast infection and try to cure it with medications for yeast infections. In the case of women, a discharge of an unusual color may be observed from the vagina. While this is sometimes common in women, any abnormal discharge over and above the usual feminine discharge should be checked out. In the case of men a penile discharge is not normal and should always be checked out.
In some cases of venereal warts, bleeding may occur as well as painful urination. This may be caused by the warts having clustered or the warts being big enough to actually block the urethra in both men and women.
Dangers of Venereal Warts
Since venereal warts are contagious and sexually transmitted, about six million unsuspecting people contract them every year. This figure does not include those who have the HPV virus in their bodies and the virus decides to surface. It is important that women know this and be vigilant in ensuring partners wear condoms, especially as warts in females can cause cervical cancer.
Try to limit the number of sexual partners and always use condoms. Arrange for pap smears or genital examinations regularly especially if it is suspected that a partner may not know or not be telling you if they have venereal warts. If you are infected, inform any previous partners that they may have contracted warts or passed them on. Those who are infected with venereal warts may not have any symptoms or signs but can still pass on the HPV strain that causes them.
Resources
* http://www.duj.com
