Genital wart basics

Genital warts are a sexually transmitted disease that can really inspire fear in an individual. The name, the symptoms, everything about the disease can really be frightening. In this article, we'll give you some basic information about genital warts so that you can better understand the problem. Rest assured, the more you know about the disease, the less fear that you'll have.

Genital warts are a widespread problem. As many as ten to twenty million Americans have genital warts, and as many as one million people contract the disease per year in America alone. While anyone participating in a form of unprotected sexual activity can get the disease, there are some groups that are more susceptible to contracting it. Pregnant women are especially at risk for the disease, and may contract it easier than others; also, those with some type of deficiency of the immune system are more likely than the average person to catch genital warts.

Sometimes, there are abnormal skin growths that can appear to be genital warts, but in all reality, they are a harmless development that will go away. That's not to say it's not important to get a condition checked out; if you are suspicious that you may have the disease, it is crucial to get the situation properly diagnosed by an expert in the medical field. Genital warts themselves are actually merely a symptom of the contracting of something known as the Human Papilloma Virus. This is the same virus that can cause warts to grow on the other parts of your body, such as your hands and your feet. A special type of HPV causes genital warts, so if you have warts on your hands or feet, you needn't worry about them causing genital warts.

Genital warts are contagious through sexual contact and widespread throughout society, but the warts themselves do not cause much harm to the body. The only real problem that genital warts may have from a significant medical standpoint is the fact that those with genital warts face an increased risk of cervical cancer. This fact, of course, applies only to females with the disease, and statistics show that of those with cervical cancer, a full 90 percent have diagnosed cases of genital warts. For those who have genital warts, although there is an increased risk of developing cervical cancer, it is not a sure thing. To keep yourself safe, you should visit a doctor to have a pap smear performed at least once per year. In this way, you can better determine if the genital warts are causing a problem.

Now that you can better understand exactly what genital warts are and exactly what types of other problems that they can cause, you can better foresee the importance of taking proper care when having sex to ensure that you will not contract the disease. Although it is not life threatening, it can be an annoyance which you do not want to partake in. Your body is your responsibility, so stay safe!

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