| Genital
Warts is the most common sexually transmitted disease(STD) and
is extremely contagious. 5-10% of people are carrying the genital
wart virus (HPV) and 50% of those will develop genital warts
caused by the HPV. In the USA, it’s estimated up to 17
million sexually active Americans have HPV, which is increasing
by 7% each year, but there are estimates that show there are
as many as 5 million new cases actually transmitted each year!
If someone has visible symptoms of genital warts, they should
not have sexual activity until the warts have been treated and
removed.
Both men
and women are equally at risk of developing genital warts. In
rare cases adults and children can be infected indirectly, for
instance through the use of an infected towel. Babies can also
be infected during delivery
Condoms
do not cover all genital skin, so they don't protect 100%. But
may help provide protection to stop the virus been spread to
partners. If you have a partner you are sexually active with,
there is a strong possibility they have already contracted the
HPV virus from you. However only 50% of people who have HPV
develop genital warts.
Not everyone
infected with HPV will develop genital warts. Some will be infected
with a strain that does not produce warts, or they will remain
asymptomatic (i.e. no warts will appear) even though the virus
is present in their skin. If you have sexual intercourse with
someone with the HPV there is a 2 in 3 chance you have contracted
the virus. If you have unfortunately contracted the virus then
there is a 50% change you will develop genital warts.
If you
have contracted HPV you may not have any visible symptoms yet,
as symptoms tend to occur a few months after contraction. Sometimes
several years pass without any symptoms. However even without
showing any symptoms it still leaves a healthy partner vulnerable
to becoming infected during sexual activity.
Sadly there
is no cure for HPV, and once you are infected you will have
it for the rest of your life. However your body can ‘fight
it off’ and the virus itself can become dormant for decades
and then reappear, but once the warts have formed they don't
typically regress and require treatment. Although some genital
warts can disappear after 2-3 years.
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