"By finding and treating genital warts, we can help reduce the risk of passing on the virus to your sexual partner(s)."
In brief...
Genital warts, which are usually caught during unprotected sex, are small lumps on the genitals that are caused by a type of wart virus. If untreated, the warts can be passed on to future sexual partners. It is very easy for us to test for and treat genital warts.
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What are genital warts and what causes them?
Genital warts are very common and affect both sexes. Genital warts are related to the warts that you can get on your hands, and the veruccas on your feet, but are caused by different types of the infectious virus, called human papillomavirus.
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How many people have them and are they a problem for everyone?
Up to 40% of sexually active people are infected with the virus - but probably don't know it. Most people clear the infection after several months and have no further problems.
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What are the symptoms and what do they look like?
Not everyone who gets infected with the wart virus gets warts, it can take up to three or more months before they appear. They are usually painless but might itch a little. Warts look like little skin coloured lumps, which can be cauliflower-like. They can itch or bleed and if this happens it is best to get them 'checked out'. People usually come to the clinic because they don't like the look of them.
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Whereabouts on your genitals can you get them?
Both sexes:
can get them around the anus, back passage.
Girls and women:
can get them on the vulva, lips of the genitals, vagina and cervix.
Boys and men:
can get them on the penis and scrotum.
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How did I get them?
They are caught during close sexual contact, e.g during sex, with someone who is infected with the wart virus.
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How can I avoid getting them?
Condoms can help to stop you catching the wart virus. If you or your partner has warts, wearing a condom might help you avoid passing on or catching the wart virus. The condom must cover the warty area.
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When am I infectious?
People who have warts are probably more infectious than those who are just carrying the virus in the skin with nothing obvious to see.
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What if I don't get them treated?
Genital warts can disappear without treatment. If you don't get genital warts treated they might become bigger and spread, this can sometimes make them more difficult to treat.
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What should I do before coming to shac?
If you find a wart, it is a good idea NOT to have unprotected sex until it is treated and healed, to avoid infecting your partner with the virus that is in the wart. Using a condom might prevent the spread of warts, depending on where they are. Don't use the wart liquids you can buy at chemists. They are designed for skin warts, they will REALLY make your eyes water and can damage your skin badly.
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What tests can you offer me at shac?
We can usually tell if you have warts by their appearance. We might need to use a powerful magnifying system called a colposcope to look at them which is not at all painful.
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What treatment can you offer me at shac?
We can treat the warts with a freezing spray, cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen, or a special liquid, podophyllin. This can sting a little but is not painful. We usually treat warts by putting a little of the treatment onto the wart each week. Sometimes, we will give you a special paint or cream that you can put on yourself. If a wart does come back, usually in the first three months after treatment, you might need further treatment. We always offer to check you for other common sexually transmitted infections.
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What should I do after coming to shac?
It is a good idea if your usual sexual partner(s) come to the clinic for some advice and to be 'checked out', because they might be infected with the virus. They might have given it to you, or the other way round.
For about three months after treatment it is a good idea not to have unprotected sex, to avoid infecting your partner with the virus that is in the wart. Using a condom might prevent the spread of wart viruses, depending on where the wart is.
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