You are here: Home > Genital Warts > Genital Warts Treatments	July 4th, 2008

STD Guide

STD Information
• STD Prevention
• How STD's are Spread
• Using Condoms
• Using Spermicides
• Abstinence

Herpes
• Herpes Symptoms
• Herpes Treatments
• Incurable Disease
• Effects on Your Life

Genital Warts
• Genital Warts Symptoms
• Genital Warts Treatments
• Pregnancy Effects
• Cervical Cancer

HPV
• HPV Symptoms
• HPV Treatments
• Cervical Cancer
• Circumcision Cancer Effects

Syphilis
• Syphilis Symptoms
• Syphilis Treatments
• Complications
• History

Chlamydia
• Chlamydia Symptoms
• Chlamydia Treatments
• Prevention
• Effects

Gonorrhea
• Gonorrhea Symptoms
• Gonorrhea Treatments
• Diagnosing Gonorrhea
• Complications

Molluscum Contagiosum
• MC Symptoms
• MC Treatments
• MC in Children

Vaginitis
• Vaginitis Symptoms
• Vaginitis Treatments
• Pregnancy Complications
• Vaginitis in Gay Women

Birth Control
• Condoms
• Birth Control Pills
• The Shot
• Birth Control Patch
• Barrier Methods

Genital Warts Treatments Advice

When you are infected with the sexually transmitted disease commonly known as genital warts, it is possible to treat the symptoms of the disease but the virus that causes the disease will never be fully eliminated from your system. The symptoms may sometimes disappear on their own without any treatment but at other times they may expand into significantly larger clusters. There is no way to determine whether the symptoms will require treatment or will disappear on their own. Symptoms that expand into clusters may be more difficult to treat so it is recommended that you seek medical treatment early on instead of waiting to see if the symptoms will disappear on their own. The treatment of the disease entails treating the symptoms of the disease through medications or surgical procedures.

Medications for the treatment of genital warts typically include topical creams that are intended to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of genital warts. The three most popular medical treatments for the disease include Imiquimod (Aldara), Podofilox (Condylox) and Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA). Imiquimod is effective because it helps to strengthen your immune system so that your body is able to combat genital warts. This cream can weaken condoms and irritate your partner’s skin so it is advisable to avoid sexual contact while the cream is on your skin. Podofilox is a cream that should only be used externally. This cream is effective at destroying the genital wart tissue. When using this treatment, care should be taken to avoid contact with healthy tissue. Trichloroacetic Acid is a strong medication that should only be applied by a doctor. This treatment works by burning off the genital warts.

If the size of the warts is significant, surgery may be required to remove them. Surgery is also an option when warts don’t respond to topical treatments and during pregnancy. Freezing with liquid nitrogen is a common surgical treatment. When this treatment is utilized a blister forms around the wart and as the new skin forms the wart is sloughed off. Electrocautery is another surgical procedure that is sometimes used to treat genital warts. In this procedure an electrical current is used to burn off the warts. Surgical excision is another treatment for genital warts. This procedure requires the patient to be under local anesthesia while the doctor cuts off the warts with special tools. Laser surgery is also an option for the treatment of genital warts but this option is usually reserved for cases of genital warts that are not responsive to other treatment methods.