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Genital warts - Treatment

 

Once you suspect you have genital warts, it’s better to leave the treatment to the professionals. The warts can be removed, but the viral infection cannot be cured. The virus continuous to live inside the skin. This is the reason why the warts often return after they have been treated. Sometimes, you may need to have them removed more than once.There are treatments for genital warts, though the warts often disappear even without treatment. There is no way to predict whether the warts will continue growing or whether they will disappear. No single treatment is 100% effective in eliminating warts and preventing them from coming back. Genital warts may go away on their own in about 10–20% of people over a period of three to four months.

 

Depending on a number of factors, your doctor may offer you one of the following treatments:

• Medications:
  5–Fluorouracil – a cream that can cause burning and irritation. It has many side effects. The treatment is usually long.
  Interferon alpha–n3–an injection that do not respond to other therapies. It has many side effects.
  Condylox – topically applied, higher cure rates than Podophyllum resin. It is useful for prevention.
  Podophyllum resin– topically applied
  Trichloroacetic acid – topically applied, higher recurrence. It may cause pain and burning.
  Imiquimod– a cream. It may irritate the skin.
• Cryotherapy (freezing): Freezing of the wart using liquid nitrogen. It has few side effects.
• Laser treatment: used for extensive or recurrent genital warts. It may require anesthesia. The laser destroys the HPV.
• Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) - a sharp instrument shaped like a loop through which an electrical current is passed at variable power settings and which cuts the wart out of the skin

 

According to the Center for Disease Control's report on HPV to Congress in 2004, studies have shown that 70% of new HPV infections clear within one year, and as many as 91% clear within two years. The median duration of new infections is typically eight months. The gradual development of an effective immune response is believed to be the likely mechanism for HPV DNA clearance. The state of the immune system determines the chances of removing the virus entirely and can be affected by factors such as HIV infection, certain medications, stress, or illness.

You should complete the necessary treatment recommended by your doctor. Women with genital warts should have a regular Pap smear and examination for HPV infection of the vaginal canal. If the genital warts are not successfully treated with the initial therapy, follow up with your doctor to discuss options for alternative treatment.