Treatment of genital warts in many different locations

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor II Pham Thi Tuyet Mai - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
Genital warts are an extremely dangerous social disease that tends to focus most on the genitals, adversely affecting the daily life and family happiness of many people. Here's what you need to know about genital warts.

1. What is genital warts?

Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is sexually transmitted and affects both men and women. Lesions are citrus warts that appear on the genitals. The disease occurs most often in young people between 20-25 years old, the age entering the reproductive stage. In particular, genital warts can turn malignant, if infected with HPV types 16, 18, the patient is also at risk of cervical cancer and penile cancer.
So, if there are symptoms of warts, you need to know the locations of warts on the body to have a way to recognize and treat them promptly.

2. Causes of genital warts

The main cause of genital warts is infection through unprotected sex of any kind (including oral, anal, or other sexual contact). ). The genital warts virus (HPV) will pass through this route and quickly invade and attack other parts of the body. Therefore, having unprotected sex (not using condoms, having unprotected sex with many different people...) will increase the risk of disease.
In addition, genital warts can also be transmitted to people with low immunity, the skin mucosa is scratched when in direct contact with personal items contaminated with the virus. sharing underwear, clothes, blankets, toothbrushes, towels... even sharing toilets or open wounds, the risk of contracting genital warts is also very high.

3. Signs of genital warts in men and women

Genital warts can affect both male and female genitalia. Normally, the genital warts virus will incubate for 2-9 months, then break out, causing lesions on the normal skin or mucous membranes of the patient: Small, soft and painless, not itchy. These nodules can be raised as papillae or have the shape of small round pink discs, have a rough surface and are about 1-2mm in diameter.
Later they grow much and join together into thorns or broad leaves around them like cockles or pinkish-white cauliflower flowers with an estimated length of several centimeters. The nodules have a soft, pus-filled, moist surface, when pressed between the nodules, pus will be secreted, causing pain for the patient.

4. Where do warts usually grow?

Genital warts will appear first in areas of contact and wetness. Then they will gradually spread to other locations. Specific manifestations of genital warts in men and women are as follows:
In the male genital organs, genital warts often appear on the mouth of the flute, glans penis, foreskin, on the body of the penis. ... In female genital organs, genital warts mainly appear on the big lips, small lips, vagina, vulva, if prolonged, warts can spread deep inside such as hymen, cervix uterus... In particular, genital warts often recur because the lesions have not been cleaned in difficult-to-screen locations such as in the cervix and vagina in women; in the male urethra, in the anal canal or from reinfection.

5. Harm of genital warts

Genital warts occur on the sensitive genitals, so many people with the disease often have the mentality of not wanting to let others know. However, this is a very wrong and dangerous thought because if left for a long time, genital warts will cause extremely serious harm.
Genital warts grow quickly and spread, can cover the entire genitalia. When sores, warts will lead to inflammatory lesions in the private area, causing pain, discomfort and affecting health, psychology, quality of life, sex life, reproductive health fertility of the patient, increasing the risk of infertility - infertility. The disease can turn into cancer if the patient has HPV types 16, 18: when left untreated, genital warts in men can cause penile cancer; Genital warts in women increase the risk of cancer of the vagina, vulva, and cervix. For pregnant women, if infected with genital warts, there is a risk of miscarriage, premature birth or when the baby is also infected from the mother. Although it is a benign disease that is not as dangerous as syphilis or HIV, genital warts will be very dangerous if not treated promptly. Therefore, when suffering from genital warts, the patient should not be subjective or arbitrarily buy medicine for treatment. You should go to specialized medical facilities for examination, to be consulted by a doctor and to prescribe a reasonable treatment method, to avoid unpredictable complications.

6. How to treat genital warts in different locations?

Currently, there is no specific treatment for genital warts, so patients can carry the disease for life with or without symptoms.
The treatment methods below are mainly aimed at destroying lesions, reducing symptoms, but not eradicating HPV.
Patients with genital warts in all cases need to be treated at the district level or higher and health workers need to identify and treat your sexual partner(s).
6.1. Genital warts on the external genitalia and anus. Using a small stick or cotton swab, carefully dab a little solution of trichloracetic acid 80% - 90%, once a day on the warts until the wart is white. Apply Podophyllin 10% - 25% solution once a day or 2-3 times a week on the wart in the same way until the wart becomes brown. Apply to dry, wash off the drug after 1-3 hours (for too long will cause skin ulcers). For large lesions or nodules that grow in many places, treatment: cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen or electrocautery, laser, or Surgical excision or curettage.

6.2. Genital warts Intra-Vaginal Warts Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen, electrocautery, laser, or Podophyllin 10% - 25% applied once/day or 2-3 times/week, or Surgical excision. Note: When applying podophyllin to the vaginal warts, it is necessary to let the medicine dry before withdrawing the speculum. Apply vaseline or antibiotic ointment to the healthy mucosa around the right lesion to prevent the drug from spreading to the unaffected area.
6.3. Cervical warts Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen Electrocautery, laser. 6.4. Genital warts in the mouth of the flute Cut, scrape, freeze, heat, or dot Trichloracetic acid 80% - 90% Electrocautery, laser. 6.5. Genital warts Electrocautery, laser, or Cryotherapy, thermal cauterization, or Surgical excision Podophyllin 10 % - 25 % 1 - 2 times/week to the wart. The healthy mucosal skin around the lesion must apply Vaseline or antibiotic ointment to avoid the drug spreading to the unaffected area.

6.6. Genital warts in pregnant women Surgical excision Liquid nitrogen cryosurgery CO2 laser ablation Note:
Trichloracetic acid can be used in pregnant women, but should not be applied to the cervix, urethral orifice or side in the anus. Podophyllotoxine is usually used only for minor lesions of the vulva. Do not use podophyllin for pregnant women, lactating women. Do not apply the medicine inside the vagina, urethral opening, cervix, mouth or inside the anus. Need to repeat the wound area after a week when the lesion has healed. With genital warts in men, the use and application of Podophyllotoxine is the same as above but not used to treat warts inside the glans.

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