May 24, 2012
Sex & Beauty Genital Warts and HPV Genital Warts and Human Papilloma Virus Infection
Genital Warts and Human Papilloma Virus Infection |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: I went to my doctor today and had a pap smear done. I showed him a bump that I noticed a couple of weeks ago. He said it is a wart and to use ALDARA. I was pregnant couple months ago and had an abortion which i now regret. I did not have these bumps before I was pregnant, I dont think my partner had those bumps on his penis before I was pregnant either. I must have got this bump from him, and does this mean I have genital warts, or genital herpes for life. Ive never had a wart anywhere on my body. Please can someone help me understand. Dear Elise: Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). This virus usually produces no symptoms and hence an infection is not always obvious, however, once a person is infected with HPV, the infection is life long. HPV is spread through skin-to-skin sexual contact and not by penetration or exchange of body fluids, and so using a condom does not guarantee protection since the virus can be on an area of skin not covered by the condom. Abstinence and Gardacil vaccine are the two approved methods for the prevention of this infection. A Pap smear examination should always be done in order to look for evidence of HPV infection and abnormal cells on the cervix. Not all strains of the HPV virus produce cervical cancer, but you should keep a regular follow up with your pap smears for any possible changes in the cervical epithelium. Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). This virus usually produces no symptoms and hence an infection is not always obvious, however, once a person is infected with HPV, theinfection
is life long. HPV is spread through skin-to-skin sexual contact and not by penetration or exchange of body fluids, and so using a condom does not guarantee protection since the virus can be on an area of skin
not covered by the condom.
Abstinence and Gardacil vaccine are the two approved methods for the prevention of this infection. A Pap smear examination should always be done in order to look for evidence of HPV infection and
abnormal cells on the cervix. Not all strains of the HPV virus produce cervical cancer, but you should keep a regular follow up with your pap smears for any possible changes in the cervical epithelium.
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 08 March 2011 ) |
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