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HPV Treatments AdviceHuman Papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection that current affects approximately 20 million people. It is detected most commonly by pink or flesh-colored warts on or around the genital areas. Because of this symptom, people often refer to HPV as “genital warts.” Currently there is no “cure” for Human Papillomavirus, however, many common forms of HPV cause warts that will go away on their own without any sort of treatment. People infected with these types of HPV should, after physician diagnosis, carefully watch the warts to insure that they are not worsening. It is also important to note that, while the warts may disappear, the infection has not been eliminated. Because many forms of HPV will go away without treatment, various physicians may employ different methods to get rid of the infection. Most of these treatments involve removal of the actual warts or abnormal cervical cells, rather than an elimination of the virus itself. Since it is not always necessary, it is important to weigh the risks involved with such treatment before proceeding. First of all, it is not an easy task to get rid of large areas of warts. This process is often painful and can lead to scarring of the area. In addition, it is reported that warts return in between 20% and 50% of cases. These repeat cases are not typically treated again unless requested by the patient. Second treatments are usually done by a different procedure. There is no home treatment to cure genital warts. Some health professional recommend a home medication such as a podofilox lotion or imiquimod cream. While the infection cannot be treated, there are things that can be done to make a person more comfortable. A sitz bath may help to ease irritation of the infected areas. A tub can be filled with a few inches of warm, not hot, water and used to soak. Warm water can also be squeezed from a bottle onto the genital areas to clean and comfort the infected areas. As mentioned previously, these treatments do not “cure” the infection. They simply provide comfort and some cosmetic correction. Proper precautions must be taken to prevent further spread of the infection to sexual partners. The only way to insure that the infection will not be spread to any other individual is to abstain from genital contact with another person. However, if an infected person chooses to be sexually active, it is healthiest to participate in a mutually monogamous sexual relationship to reduce the number of people at risk. |
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