The papillomavirus (HPV) is a tiny virus particle that can infect your skin and cause genital warts in females.
The warts may be either a cluster or a single bump.
They are shaped like cauliflower.
Genital warts in females are found around a woman's vagina or anus.
Most types of HPV are relatively harmless;they can be treated as an annoying skin disorder.
But, in some cases, HPV has been shown to cause cervical cancer.
These are considered to be "high risk" warts.
High risk warts actually change the cell structure in the opening of a woman's uterus (the cervix), or the cell structure around a woman's anus, and this is what causes cancer.
This is why women who suffer from genital warts are strongly recommended to have a PAP smear done at once every 6 months.
It has also been shown that women who have HPV often have more trouble trying to get pregnant, and are more likely to need treatments for infertility.
Genital warts may appear as bumps, but they also may be hard to see.
Some women experience these warts as an itching, burning or tender feeling in their genital area.
They may experience itchiness on a certain part of their body.
HPV can cause genital warts inside the vagina, in which case a woman may bleed after sex or experience some kind of discharge from the vagina.
In very rare cases, a wart around the urethral opening may cause trouble with urination or bleeding.
In some cases, a woman who has HPV will experience only one outbreak.
In other cases, outbreaks may occur with some regularity.
Warts and the HPV virus are transmitted through contact with the warts.
But, the warts may also be too small for anyone to see, and still transmit the disease.
There are various treatments for genital warts, but most involve some kind of topical cream.
Some treatments must be done at the doctor's, and others can be done at home.
There is no known cure for the disease at the present moment.
If a woman is infected with HPV, she will always have it.
However, getting treatment quickly for HPV may keep the disease from spreading to a sexual partner who does not have it.
A woman with HPV may experience outbreaks of genital warts many times in her life.
Or, it may happen only once.
Always remember that contact with warts is what spreads the virus.
But, keep in mind that the warts may not always be visible.
If you have genital warts, talk to your doctor as soon as possible to determine the right treatment.
Glossary HPV: Human Papillomavirus.
This is a sexually transmitted disease that causes outbreaks of genital warts in both men and women.
References American Cancer Society http:www.
acs.
org CDC National Prevention Network http:www.
cdcnpn.
The warts may be either a cluster or a single bump.
They are shaped like cauliflower.
Genital warts in females are found around a woman's vagina or anus.
Most types of HPV are relatively harmless;they can be treated as an annoying skin disorder.
But, in some cases, HPV has been shown to cause cervical cancer.
These are considered to be "high risk" warts.
High risk warts actually change the cell structure in the opening of a woman's uterus (the cervix), or the cell structure around a woman's anus, and this is what causes cancer.
This is why women who suffer from genital warts are strongly recommended to have a PAP smear done at once every 6 months.
It has also been shown that women who have HPV often have more trouble trying to get pregnant, and are more likely to need treatments for infertility.
Genital warts may appear as bumps, but they also may be hard to see.
Some women experience these warts as an itching, burning or tender feeling in their genital area.
They may experience itchiness on a certain part of their body.
HPV can cause genital warts inside the vagina, in which case a woman may bleed after sex or experience some kind of discharge from the vagina.
In very rare cases, a wart around the urethral opening may cause trouble with urination or bleeding.
In some cases, a woman who has HPV will experience only one outbreak.
In other cases, outbreaks may occur with some regularity.
Warts and the HPV virus are transmitted through contact with the warts.
But, the warts may also be too small for anyone to see, and still transmit the disease.
There are various treatments for genital warts, but most involve some kind of topical cream.
Some treatments must be done at the doctor's, and others can be done at home.
There is no known cure for the disease at the present moment.
If a woman is infected with HPV, she will always have it.
However, getting treatment quickly for HPV may keep the disease from spreading to a sexual partner who does not have it.
A woman with HPV may experience outbreaks of genital warts many times in her life.
Or, it may happen only once.
Always remember that contact with warts is what spreads the virus.
But, keep in mind that the warts may not always be visible.
If you have genital warts, talk to your doctor as soon as possible to determine the right treatment.
Glossary HPV: Human Papillomavirus.
This is a sexually transmitted disease that causes outbreaks of genital warts in both men and women.
References American Cancer Society http:www.
acs.
org CDC National Prevention Network http:www.
cdcnpn.