How can genital warts be treated

Diagnosis Genital warts are often diagnosed by appearance. Sometimes a biopsy might be necessary. Pap tests Pap test Open pop-up dialog box Close. Pap test In a Pap test, your doctor uses a vaginal speculum to hold your vaginal walls apart and to see the cervix.

More Information Pap smear. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Cohen J, et al. In: Infectious Diseases. Elsevier; Accessed Oct. Anogenital warts. Mayo Clinic; Scheinfeld N. Condylomata acuminata anogenital warts in adults: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features and diagnosis.

Genital warts: A fact sheet from the Office on Women's Health. Grennan D. You can still pass the virus on, and the warts may come back. The HPV vaccine that's offered to girls and boys aged 12 to 13 in England protects against cervical cancer and genital warts.

Find out more about the HPV vaccine. Most pregnant women with genital warts have a vaginal delivery. Very rarely you might be offered a caesarean, depending on your circumstances. Page last reviewed: 24 August Next review due: 24 August Genital warts.

Non-urgent advice: Go to a sexual health clinic if you have:. Small, rough wart below the vagina Credit:. Information: Why you should go to a sexual health clinic You can see a GP, but they'll probably refer you to a sexual health clinic if they think you might have genital warts.

Learn more about how treatment can speed up recovery. Sexually transmitted infections STIs usually spread through sexual contact. Here, learn how to recognize, treat, and prevent some common STIs. Learn about three possible home remedies for genital warts. We also look at lifestyle changes that could help, and when you should see a doctor.

What to know about genital warts Medically reviewed by Carolyn Kay, M. What are they? Pictures Prevalence Treatment Prevention Causes Diagnosis Outlook Genital warts are fleshy growths that develop around the genitals or anus. What are genital warts? How common are genital warts?

Medically reviewed by Carolyn Kay, M. Scientists identify new cause of vascular injury in type 2 diabetes. Adolescent depression: Could school screening help? Related Coverage. What is human papillomavirus HPV? How long do genital warts last? What to know. Any sexually active person is at risk of getting HPV. However, genital warts are more common for people who:. HPV infection is the main cause of cancer in the cervix.

It can also lead to precancerous changes to the cells of the cervix, which is called dysplasia. Other types of HPV may also cause cancer of the vulva, which are the external genital organs of women. They can also cause penile and anal cancer.

To diagnose this condition, your doctor will ask questions about your health and sexual history. Your doctor will also perform a physical examination of any areas where you suspect warts may be occurring. They may apply a mild acidic solution, which helps to make the warts more visible. Your doctor may also do a Pap test also known as a Pap smear , which involves taking a swab of the area to obtain cells from your cervix.

These cells can then be tested for the presence of HPV. Certain types of HPV may cause abnormal results on a Pap test, which may indicate precancerous changes. If your doctor detects these abnormalities, you may need either more frequent screenings to monitor any changes or a specialized procedure called a colposcopy.

This determines what strain of HPV you have in your system. While visible genital warts often go away with time, HPV itself can linger in your skin cells. This means you may have several outbreaks over the course of your life.

So managing symptoms is important because you want to avoid transmitting the virus to others. That said, genital warts can be passed on to others even when there are no visible warts or other symptoms. You may wish to treat genital warts to relieve painful symptoms or to minimize their appearance.

Your doctor can also remove the warts through these procedures:. Hand and genital warts are caused by different strains of HPV, and treatments designed for other areas of the body are often much stronger than treatments used on the genitals. Using the wrong treatments may do more harm than good. Some home remedies are touted as helpful in treating genital warts, but there is little evidence to support them.