Oh My Goodness!
Genital warts (or Condyloma, Condylomata acuminata, or venereal warts) is a highly contagious sexually transmitted infection caused by some sub-types of human papillomavirus (HPV). It is spread through direct skin-to-skin contact during oral, genital, or anal sex with an infected partner. Genital warts are the most easily recognized sign of genital HPV infection. They can be caused by strains 6, 11, 30, 42, 43, 44, 45, 51, 52 and 54 of genital HPV; types 6 and 11 are responsible for 90% of genital warts cases.[1] Most people who acquire those strains never develop warts or any other symptoms. HPV also causes many cases of cervical cancer; types 16 and 18 account for 70% of cases; however, the strains of HPV that cause genital warts are not linked to the strains that cause cancer.
Genital warts often occur in clusters and can be very tiny or can spread into large masses in the genital or penis area. In women they occur on the outside and inside of the vagina, on the opening (cervix) to the womb (uterus), or around the anus. They are approximately as prevalent in men, but the symptoms may be less obvious. When present, they usually are seen on the tip of the penis. They also may be found on the shaft of the penis, on the scrotum, or around the anus. Rarely, genital warts also can develop in the mouth or throat of a person who has had oral sex with an infected person. The viral particles are able to penetrate the skin and mucosal surfaces through microscopic abrasions in the genital area, which occur during sexual activity. Once cells are invaded by HPV, a latency (quiet) period of months to years may occur. The latency period just means the HPV virus is in an incubation period. Having sex with a partner whose HPV infection is in the incubation period still leaves you vulnerable to becoming infected yourself. In other words, just because one can’t see the genital warts, doesn’t mean they are not there. HPV virus can last from 3 months to 2 years without a symptom. That causes the increase of HPV infectors and sometimes you cannot track down who was the source of the infection.
Contents [hide]
1 Treatment
2 Misdiagnosis cautions
3 References
4 External links
4.1 Images
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genital_wart
Thanks. Now we know there are at least 54 kinds of papillomavirus.
“Hooking up,” “friends with benefits,” “f buddies,” etc. have caused an explosion in these problems. There is a price to pay if you play.
webmd.com says there are more than 100 types of this virus.
“Of the 100 HPV types, about 60 types cause warts on areas such as the hands or feet. The other 40 or so types of HPV are sexually transmitted and are drawn to the body’s mucous membranes, such as the moist layers around the anal and genital areas.”
“How common is HPV infection? About 20 million people in the U.S. are infected at any time, according to the CDC. And three-fourths of sexually active people between ages 15 and 49 have been infected at some point in their lives, according to estimates from the American Social Health Association.”
The survey found that:
* 19% of women 50 to 59 were infected with HPV virus
* 27% of women 20 to 24 were infected with HPV virus
* 45% of women 14 to 19 were infected with HPV virus