Alongside genital herpes and chlamydia, genital warts are one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). It is estimated that 1 to 2 percent of the sexually active population are affected by them. A further 14 percent of the population are carriers of the highly contagious virus without showing any symptoms themselves. You can find further information and selected doctors for genital warts here.
Genital warts - also known as condylomata accuminata or condylomas for short - are a viral disease in the genital and anal area. They are benign skin growths of pinhead-sized, reddish or brownish colored nodules.
They can occur in both men and women in the genital area.
In men, the warts usually develop
In women, they usually occur
Genital warts are usually caused by so-called human papillomaviruses (HPV). These mainly enter the body through unprotected sexual intercourse.
Pregnant women who are infected with the virus can also transmit the pathogen to their newborn child during birth.
There are around 90 types of human papillomavirus in total, of which around 50 types can cause genital warts.
However, the most common causative pathogens for warts are type 6 and type 11 human papillomaviruses, which can be identified as the cause of genital warts in around 90 percent of cases.
In rare cases, type 16 and type 18 human papillomaviruses can also be detected. In men, these increase the risk of certain cancers in the genital area (e.g. penile cancer). In women, they are also considered the main risk factor for the development of cervical cancer.
The smallest skin or mucous membrane lesions occur mainly during sexual intercourse, without those affected noticing. These injuries make it easier for the HP viruses to penetrate the skin.
After transmission, the human papillomaviruses initially settle in the upper layers of the skin and mucous membranes on the penis, anus or rectum. They do not necessarily cause genital warts. Only when certain favorable factors are added do the viruses multiply. As a result, the genital warts also proliferate.
The factors that favor the development of genital warts include in particular
The first genital warts do not appear until two to four weeks after infection at the earliest. Sometimes it can take several months.
If the body's immune system is weakened, the risk of developing genital warts after infection is higher. In this case, the HP viruses can multiply more quickly.
Immunocompromised or chronically ill people are therefore particularly susceptible to genital warts . These include
Other risk factors for the development of genital warts are the consumption of
An unhealthy lifestyle with little exercise, an unhealthy diet and too little sleep is also a risk factor.
In addition, people who suffer from other sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, genital herpes or fungal infections in the genital area alongside an HPV infection are also more susceptible to genital warts.
HP viruses that cause genital warts are sexually transmitted pathogens © syahrir | AdobeStock
Transmission of the genital warts pathogen does not necessarily lead to an outbreak of genital warts. People can carry the HP viruses without ever realizing it. This is known as a silent infection. However, those affected can unknowingly transmit the HP viruses to others.
Such a silent infection is estimated to occur in around 10 to 15 percent of all people infected with HP viruses.
Genital warts are extremely contagious, as the HP viruses that cause them can be transmitted very easily. It only takes one direct skin contact with the affected skin area of an infected person to contract an HPV infection.
Unprotected sexual intercourse with frequently changing sexual partners is one of the main risk factors for infection with HPV.
In most cases, infection occurs through contact or smear infection during sexual or oral intercourse. This involves direct skin contact with the skin areas affected by genital warts in the genital area.
A condom can effectively prevent the transmission of the virus if the genital warts are only located directly on the penis or vagina. However, if the genital warts also occur in other parts of the genital area, condoms do not offer sufficient protection against HPV infection.
The risk of infection with HP viruses also increases with the number of sexual partners.
are therefore also risk factors for infection with HPV. In addition, the risk of HPV infection also increases if the first sexual contact takes place at an early age.
HP viruses can also be transmitted through close body and skin contact when bathing or petting together.
In rare cases, transmission is possible via shared objects such as bath towels or hand towels.
Genital warts are pinhead-sized nodules of a reddish-brown or whitish color. They are often overlooked at first.
They usually grow in large numbers and lie close together. If left untreated, they can grow into cauliflower-like skin growths - so-called wart beds.
Genital warts usually cause little or no discomfort or pain. In rare cases they are accompanied by
accompanied by itching and burning.
Sharing a towel after bathing can lead to the transmission of HP viruses © Zoran Zeremski | AdobeStock
In men, genital warts mainly occur
occur. However, the urethra (10%), scrotum and rectum can also be affected in men.
In women, genital warts usually grow on the labia
The first step is a consultation with the patient, during which the doctor asks about the symptoms. He then examines the external genital area and the anus.
In most cases, the genital warts can already be recognized by their characteristic appearance. In the early stages, however, genital warts are sometimes barely visible to the naked eye, if at all. In this case, the doctor dabs the suspicious areas of skin with diluted, three percent acetic acid to make them visible as white areas.
In men, arectoscopy or a meatoscopy is now advisable. The doctor can find genital warts that may have spread unnoticed in the rectum and urethra.
In women, the gynecologist also examines the cervix. This is done using a special microscope known as a colposcope. This allows the skin surface of the cervix to be visualized at a magnification of 10 to 30 times.
For treatment, it is necessary to confirm the diagnosis and clearly determine the causative pathogen. To do this, the doctor takes a small tissue sample under local anesthetic. This is then examined using molecular biology.
The treatment of genital warts can be carried out by the patient under medical supervision or by a doctor. The treatment is then carried out by a urologist or gynecologist.
The choice of treatment method usually depends on
of the patient.
There are basically two different treatment methods to choose from:
Causal therapy aims to attack the causative virus itself. Symptomatic therapy, on the other hand, concentrates on removing the warts. Chemotherapeutic or surgical procedures can be used.
As part of self-therapy, the patient must apply special solutions and creams to the genital warts over a period of several weeks. They usually contain the active ingredients
Imiquimod and interferon stimulate the immune system so that the body's own immune cells attack and fight the viruses more effectively.
Podophyllotoxin inhibits the growth of the virus-infected cells in the sense of symptomatic therapy and thus causes their death.
If self-therapy is not possible, treatment is carried out by a doctor on an outpatient basis. This may be due to genital warts that grow inside the body and therefore cannot be treated with cream.
Treatment methods that can only be carried out by a doctor include
To date, the complete removal of the causative human papilloma viruses has not been possible. A complete cure can therefore not be guaranteed. Even after successful treatment, genital warts can therefore recur. This is particularly the case if there are favorable factors such as a weakened immune system.
In around 20 to 70 percent of patients, the warts recur within six months. The risk of recurrence is particularly high for surgically removed warts, at around 75 percent.
For this reason, it is advisable to undergo regular check-ups following treatment.
Genital warts can only be reliably prevented if there is no infection with the HP viruses that cause them.
Various behaviors and precautionary measures - above all the use of condoms during sexual intercourse - can reduce the risk of infection.
HPV vaccination can prevent certain types of pathogens © Sherry Young | AdobeStock
The HPV vaccination is primarily used to prevent cervical cancer. It protects against infection with human papillomavirus types 6, 11, 16 and 18 and is recommended in Germany for girls between the ages of 12 and 17. It must be given before the first sexual contact. As a rule, three vaccinations are given at intervals of two and four to six months.
However, as other HPV types can also cause genital warts, HPV vaccination does not offer absolute protection against genital warts.
If an infection has already occurred, the partner should also be treated. Otherwise, the partner may transmit the virus back ("ping-pong effect").
Text faces are small strings of characters that can describe emotions and make your text stand out. Browse them in the gallery.
The Leading Medicine Guide's quality assurance is ensured by the following acceptance prerequisites.
