How can I know I have an infection? The genital warts are usually painless flesh colored swellings that appear around the genital area of both males and females.
There are occasions when it will take several months or even years after infection for the symptoms to manifest themselves - if ever, meaning some infected persons may never manifest symptoms.
In women they appear around the vagina, cervix or the anus and in males they are seen around the penis, scrotum and the anus.
They can either appear small or large, flat or raised, singular or clustered together.
When women get infected with the virus, sometimes it leads to cell changes in the cervical area that may lead to development of cancerous cells.
That basically shows why they must always be treated as a matter of priority.
The mode of transmission is always through sexual contact with an infected person.
This happens whether the sexual contact is oral, anal or vaginal and can take several weeks or even months before the signs become manifest.
The virus is thus passed on through skin to skin contact.
Prevention is cheaper than cure One of the modern forms of prevention from the HPV virus is a vaccine that can be administered to females between the ages of 9 and 26 years.
It is given in a course of about 3 injections over a period of six months.
It does not give protection to females who have already been infected though.
Being a sexually transmitted disease, genital warts can be prevented by total sexual abstinence.
Sexually active persons who have multiple partners have a higher risk of getting the HPV virus.
The next option is the use of latex condoms during the sexual act because they also protect from many other sexually transmitted diseases.
Females are encouraged to try female condoms.
Some people always ask about douching and if it can help.
It is suspected that douching may actually be risky because apart from changing the natural flora of the vagina, it actually pushes bacteria higher up into the female genital tract.
Who will talk to our teenagers about sex? Talk about teenage sexual activity is an important aspect in prevention of genital warts and other STDs.
Parents need to create the opportune environment to discuss matters pertaining to their teenagers' sexual activity.
Whenever infection has taken place teenagers are encouraged to have a word with the doctor's about the same, but things would be easier if they were tackled before infection.
Seek treatment Even though there is no known cure for the HPV virus, there is treatment available for the warts that appear, through either medication or surgery.
Treatment takes a long time because the virus lies dormant only to re-appear some time later and even at the dormant stage a carrier will continue to infect others.
There are occasions when it will take several months or even years after infection for the symptoms to manifest themselves - if ever, meaning some infected persons may never manifest symptoms.
In women they appear around the vagina, cervix or the anus and in males they are seen around the penis, scrotum and the anus.
They can either appear small or large, flat or raised, singular or clustered together.
When women get infected with the virus, sometimes it leads to cell changes in the cervical area that may lead to development of cancerous cells.
That basically shows why they must always be treated as a matter of priority.
The mode of transmission is always through sexual contact with an infected person.
This happens whether the sexual contact is oral, anal or vaginal and can take several weeks or even months before the signs become manifest.
The virus is thus passed on through skin to skin contact.
Prevention is cheaper than cure One of the modern forms of prevention from the HPV virus is a vaccine that can be administered to females between the ages of 9 and 26 years.
It is given in a course of about 3 injections over a period of six months.
It does not give protection to females who have already been infected though.
Being a sexually transmitted disease, genital warts can be prevented by total sexual abstinence.
Sexually active persons who have multiple partners have a higher risk of getting the HPV virus.
The next option is the use of latex condoms during the sexual act because they also protect from many other sexually transmitted diseases.
Females are encouraged to try female condoms.
Some people always ask about douching and if it can help.
It is suspected that douching may actually be risky because apart from changing the natural flora of the vagina, it actually pushes bacteria higher up into the female genital tract.
Who will talk to our teenagers about sex? Talk about teenage sexual activity is an important aspect in prevention of genital warts and other STDs.
Parents need to create the opportune environment to discuss matters pertaining to their teenagers' sexual activity.
Whenever infection has taken place teenagers are encouraged to have a word with the doctor's about the same, but things would be easier if they were tackled before infection.
Seek treatment Even though there is no known cure for the HPV virus, there is treatment available for the warts that appear, through either medication or surgery.
Treatment takes a long time because the virus lies dormant only to re-appear some time later and even at the dormant stage a carrier will continue to infect others.