It is recommended that girls and boys age 11 or 12 get the HPV vaccine, but the vaccine can be given from age 9 to Children ages 9 to 14 years get the vaccine in a series of two shots over 6 months.
Children age 15 years and older should get the vaccine as a three-dose series. For the vaccine to work best, all shots in the series must be given. Home treatments may not cure HPV infection and genital warts. But a doctor may prescribe medicine that you can use at home, such as podofilox lotion or gel or imiquimod cream. These products are not intended for the genital area and may cause serious burning.
It is important to remember that most infections are minor, without serious complications. Some cases of HPV infection and genital warts disappear without treatment, although human papillomavirus HPV may still be present in your body's cells. Medicine may be used to destroy bothersome genital warts, relieve your symptoms, and reduce the amount of area affected by warts, particularly when the warts are:.
Topical medicine often is the first treatment. For safety, a doctor will apply the topical medicines that could damage the skin around the warts. You can apply other medicines at home. If warts return after one course of treatment with topical medicine, they are treated again only if there are clear reasons for retreatment.
Medicines are not used to treat abnormal cell changes found on a Pap test. Imiquimod and podofilox are typically the most effective medicine options that can be applied at home. Read the instructions carefully before using these medicines. Treatment for pregnant women includes trichloroacetic acid TCA , cryotherapy, laser therapy, loop electrosurgical excision procedure LEEP , and surgical removal by electrocautery or excision.
Warts on the vulva or penis that do not go away on their own or after treatment often are biopsied to rule out precancerous or cancerous conditions. Removing genital warts does not cure an HPV infection. Warts may go away with topical treatment, but they may return, because HPV may still be in the body's cells. You may have surgery to remove genital warts if they are widespread and medicine or freezing cryotherapy fails to remove them.
If you have a high-risk type of HPV that causes an abnormal Pap test, your doctor may recommend certain types of surgery. For more information about surgical methods to treat abnormal cell changes, see the topic Abnormal Pap Test.
Surgical choices for pregnant women with genital warts include electrocautery, surgical excision, loop electrosurgical excision LEEP , and laser surgery. The success of surgery is related to the number of warts present. The success rate is higher and additional treatments are less likely to be required when surgery is done on fewer and smaller warts. But surgery is less likely to be needed for a few small areas of warts. Kiley MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology. Author: Healthwise Staff.
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Updated visitor guidelines. Top of the page. Genital Warts Human Papillomavirus. Topic Overview Is this topic for you? If you are looking for information about cervical cell changes or cervical cancer, see: Abnormal Pap Test. Cervical Cancer. What is human papillomavirus HPV?
What are genital warts? What causes HPV and genital warts? What are the symptoms? How are HPV and genital warts diagnosed? Sometimes the doctor takes a sample of tissue from the wart for testing. How are they treated? There is no cure for HPV, but the symptoms can be treated. Can HPV and genital warts be prevented? Use latex condoms. Latex condoms may help reduce the risk of spreading genital warts, but they do not protect the entire genital area against skin-to-skin contact.
Before you have sex with someone, talk to them about STIs. Find out whether he or she is at risk for them. Remember that a person can be infected without knowing it. If you have symptoms of an STI, don't have sex.
Do not have sex with anyone who has symptoms or who may have been exposed to an STI. Having several sex partners increases your risk for infection. Health Tools Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health. Decision Points focus on key medical care decisions that are important to many health problems.
Cause HPV infection is caused by a virus. How the infection is spread transmission HPV is spread by direct contact. The virus can be spread to or from the genitals, anus, mouth, or throat during sexual activities. But warts in the mouth or throat are extremely rare. Latex condoms can lower your risk of getting genital warts. After the infection occurs, it may spread to other areas of the genitals or to the anal area.
You can spread the virus even if you do not have any symptoms of infection or any visible warts. There is a small chance that a pregnant woman can pass the virus to her baby. Children can get genital warts from sexual abuse.
Symptoms Human papillomavirus HPV infection Infection with the human papillomavirus HPV usually does not cause any symptoms and does not always produce visible genital warts. Symptoms that may occur with genital warts include: Irritation. Genital warts Genital warts can be different sizes and shapes. They may be large, or they may be too small to be seen with the naked eye.
They may appear individually or in groups. Warts may look like tiny bunches of cauliflower or like flat, white areas that are very difficult to see. In women and men, warts may appear in the groin, on and around the genitals, in the urethra , or in the rectum or anus. In women : Genital warts may appear around the anus or on the vulva , vagina, or cervix. Women are often unaware of warts inside the vagina or on the cervix until a doctor finds them.
In men : Genital warts may occur on the outside of the penis, on the scrotum , or around the anus. Men are often unaware they have genital warts, even when they can be seen, until the warts are identified by a doctor. Symptoms of genital warts may be similar to those of other conditions. Common HPV types 6 and 11 produce visible warts. These warts may go away on their own, stay the same, or increase in number. They're usually flesh-colored, white, pink or tan.
Plantar warts are caused by the same type of virus that causes warts on your hands and fingers. But, because of their location, they can be painful. Flat warts are smaller and smoother than other warts. They generally occur on the face or legs and are more common in children and teens than in adults.
Genital warts are a common sexually transmitted infection. They can appear on the genitals, in the pubic area or in the anal canal. In women, genital warts can also grow inside the vagina.
In most cases, your body's immune system defeats an HPV infection before it creates warts. When warts do appear, they vary in appearance depending on which kind of HPV is involved:. Genital warts. These appear as flat lesions, small cauliflower-like bumps or tiny stemlike protrusions.
In women, genital warts appear mostly on the vulva but can also occur near the anus, on the cervix or in the vagina. In men, genital warts appear on the penis and scrotum or around the anus. Genital warts rarely cause discomfort or pain, though they may itch or feel tender. Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by HPV infections, but cervical cancer may take 20 years or longer to develop after an HPV infection. The HPV infection and early cervical cancer typically don't cause noticeable symptoms.
Getting vaccinated against HPV infection is your best protection from cervical cancer. Because early cervical cancer doesn't cause symptoms, it's vital that women have regular screening tests to detect any precancerous changes in the cervix that might lead to cancer. Current guidelines recommend that women ages 21 to 29 have a Pap test every three years. Women ages 30 to 65 are advised to continue having a Pap test every three years, or every five years if they also get the HPV DNA test at the same time.
If you or your child has warts of any kind that cause embarrassment, discomfort or pain, seek advice from your doctor. HPV infection occurs when the virus enters your body, usually through a cut, abrasion or small tear in your skin. The virus is transferred primarily by skin-to-skin contact.
Genital HPV infections are contracted through sexual intercourse, anal sex and other skin-to-skin contact in the genital region. Some HPV infections that result in oral or upper respiratory lesions are contracted through oral sex. Although medications and other treatment methods may help clear genital warts, the virus that causes warts—HPV—may never go away, and warts may reappear.
When untreated, genital warts may disappear within a year, but the exact time it takes for them to clear can vary. With treatment, warts may go away faster. However, since HPV may reside in the body, warts may reappear over and over again. Genital warts may feel rough or smooth. They usually aren't painful but may cause discomfort, itching, irritation, or a burning sensation. How long it takes for genital warts to show up can vary. Some people may develop genital warts within weeks after infection.
But for others, it may take months or years after infection for warts to appear. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Genital HPV infection - fact sheet. Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines. Human papillomavirus. Chapter 5: Human papillomavirus HPV. American Cancer Society. HPV and men - fact sheet. Grennan D. Genital warts. University of Rochester Medical Center. Condoms and STDs: Fact sheet for public health personnel.
Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines: Anogenital warts. Goldman RD. Duct tape for warts in children: Should nature take its course? Can Fam Physician. Balaji G. Sinecatechins: A better prospect for treating anogenital warts. Cleveland Clinic. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content.
Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. HPV tests are not recommended to screen men, adolescents, or women under the age of 30 years. Most people with HPV do not know they have the infection. They never develop symptoms or health problems from it.
Some people find out they have HPV when they get genital warts. Women may find out they have HPV when they get an abnormal Pap test result during cervical cancer screening. In that same year, there were 13 million new infections. Cervical cancer: Every year, nearly 12, women living in the U. More than 4, women die from cervical cancer—even with screening and treatment. There are other conditions and cancers caused by HPV that occur in people living in the United States.
Every year, about 19, women and 12, men experience cancers caused by HPV. This could be less than the actual number of people who get genital warts. Pregnant people with HPV can get genital warts or develop abnormal cell changes on the cervix. Routine cervical cancer screening can help find abnormal cell changes. You should get routine cervical cancer screening even when you are pregnant. There is no treatment for the virus itself.
However, there are treatments for the health problems that HPV can cause:.
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