Genital warts (also know as Condyloma, Condylomata acuminata, or venereal warts) is an extremely contagious sexually transmitted infection caused by some sub-types of human papillomavirus (HPV).
They are the most easy to recognize sign of genital HPV infection as they often occur in clusters and can be tiny or can spread into large masses in the genital or penis area.
Genital warts often disappear without treatment, but sometimes develop a fleshy, small raised growth.
On the whole, an individual who has genital warts won't advertise this fact to other people and in some cases will even try to keep it secret from their partners.
This is definitely not the way to proceed as they can be highly contagious and indeed is a known STD, or a Sexually Transmitted Disease.
For this underlying reason alone, no matter how painful or embarrassing it might be, and no matter how bleak the outcome might look, an individual suffering from genital warts should notify their sexual partner.
Genital warts as well as being contagious can also be painful, an irritant, and in some cases can even be disfiguring.
Disfigurement as a consequence depends on a variety of elements one of which is the treatment avenue used to eradicate the warts.
It is also proven that while the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which is the root cause of the genital warts, can not be treated, the genital warts themselves can be treated.
Treatments come in many and various forms with some of the the most well liked treatments being in the field of surgical excision, surgical cauterization of the warts, and cryosurgery techniques.
There are also available methods in the sort of medications such as prescription medications, topical ointments and even in some cases solutions.
What you will generally not find is over the counter medication to treat genital warts.
This is as the medications necessary to treat them will largely if not all need to be administered by trained medical personnel.
Also, any over the counter medications available to treat other forms of warts is just not suitable for eradication of genital warts.
This is because the ingredients used in these treatments are too strong to utilize on the sensitive genital area.
Other than these various methods of treatment, you will find that there are natural remedies available as well.
Generally the greatest number of these use herbs and other natural healing methods to cure someone.
Detection of genital warts isn't always easy as sometimes there is no obvious physical signs of a wart in the affected area.
But, for the most part you will find that if you suffer with them you should have some of the following signs and symptoms.
Pink, or flesh coloured lesions, painfulness, burning, and itching of the affected areas.
You will also sometimes find that you show small flat warts which can also be reddish in appearance, or even massive raised bumps, with a cauliflower type appearance.
Genital warts will conventionally occur in the genital area and can be passed through sexual interaction with an infected partner.
It is also clear that not all HPV infections will manifest themselves immediately.
There has been known to be a time lag of between a few months to, in some cases, even a few years.