Genital warts are not simply an unsightly, or slightly uncomfortable sexually transmitted disease, they are the symptoms of a virus that has no known cure, the human papillomavirus (HPV).
The main risk factor associated with HPV is that it has been proven to cause various types of cancer.
Unfortunately, due to its high risk factors there are few types of genital warts treatment for women over the counter that are effective in treating the underlying causes.
Most over the counter treatments are mild, antiviral creams that have little effect and can in fact disturb the delicate balance of the genital tissue.
Warts Genital require a stronger dose of medication that cannot be issued without the prescription of a doctor.
However, even in the case of prescription genital warts treatments, efficiency is approximately 80% with a relatively high risk of relapse.
Most doctors suggest that patients set up an appointment to have the warts inspected by a professional because, in many cases in which the affliction is mild, no genital warts treatment for women over the counter or otherwise is required.
If left alone, the warts heal on their own and sometimes if an aggressive treatment is used to attempt removal the opposite can happen and the infection spreads.
On the other hand, the doctor may feel that immediate action is required and will initially recommend a topical treatment with a resin such as podophyllin which is made from plants and destroys genital wart tissues.
If this is ineffective, the next step will likely be to attempt chemical removal with TCA and only then will surgery be used to remove the harder to treat warts.
There are also a number of natural remedies that have proven effective in some cases and they are worth attempting but with the caveat that the treatment may backfire, as with prescription medication.
For this very reason, when applying any warts genital treatment for women over the counter or otherwise it is best to test on a small area first.