Catching genital warts is certainly not an issue to be laughed at. You could have been shown slides of, among other things, genital warts while you were in your biology or sexual education class at school, but if you were anything at all like most other pupils, you wouldn’t really have payed too much attention to them. Nevertheless, genital warts have the potential to be extremely painful as well as a bit embarrassing.
Genital warts are a sexually transmitted infection that are caused by several types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). They’re spread by physical contact, generally a form of sexual contact with someone who is infected with genital warts. While some strains of HPV cause warts to appear right away, the two strains that are responsible for the vast majority of genital warts infections (strains 6 and 11) rarely result in warts. This means that you may have genital warts and never know it.
If you do develop genital warts, you’ll see small clusters around your genitalia. If you see any of these symptoms, it’s important to see your doctor right away for treatment and the removal of the warts. However, warts can return after treatment because the HPV remains in your body.
Disclaimer: Nothing contained in this article is intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional’s advice.