Genital Warts (cont.)
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Genital Warts (HPV) Overview
- Genital Warts (HPV) Causes
- Genital Warts (HPV) Symptoms
- When to Seek Medical Care
- Exams and Tests
- Genital Warts (HPV) Treatment
- Self-Care at Home
- Medical Treatment
- Medications
- Surgery
- Next Steps
- Follow-up
- Prevention
- Outlook
- Pictures of Genital Warts
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Authors and Editors
Outlook
- In many cases, genital warts fail to respond to treatment or come back even
after an initial good response.
- Reappearance of abnormal cells on the cervix of women is not altered by
treatment of their sexual partners.
- Recurrence rates of genital warts are greater than 50% after one year and
have been attributed to the following factors:
- Recurrent infection from a sexual partner
- Potentially long incubation time of HPV
- Persistence of the virus in the surrounding skin, in the hair follicle, or
in sites that are missed by the treatment used
- Deep lesions or lesions that cannot be detected
- Recurrent infection from a sexual partner
- Genital warts often appear or increase in number during pregnancy. Dormant infections may also become activated. The presence of genital warts may make vaginal delivery difficult if they are in the cervix or vagina and warts in these locations tend to bleed easily. The warts often disappear on their own after pregnancy. The real danger, however, is that newborns may become infected during passage through an infected birth canal. HPV can cause a very serious condition in children called recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). This is a life-threatening disease of the respiratory tract. The papillomas or warts appear and spread quickly, sometimes dangerously blocking the child's airway.
Next: Pictures of Genital Warts »
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Warts, Genital »
Until the 19th century, genital warts (GWs) were believed to be a form of syphilis or gonorrhea.
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