Incurable STDs - Infections

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) III - Genital Warts

Untreated HPV If untreated, genital warts can grow considerably. Top: Untreated warts on the female external sex organs. Bottom: Untreated warts on the penis. (Click on pictures)

6. How is it treated?
Visible genital warts require medical treatment. They can be removed by directly applied medications, laser treatment, localized freezing, electrical cauterization, or surgery. The treatment is not as simple as it sounds and usually must be repeated several times. Strictly speaking, there is no “cure” for HPV infection. The various treatments are aimed at removing the symptoms, i.e. the warts and pre-cancerous conditions in the cervix.

7. How can it be prevented?
Since most people infected with HPV have no warts, they usually do not know that they are infected, and their partners cannot tell either, even by looking at their nude bodies. Condoms offer some protection, but they do not cover every area that might be exposed to the virus.
In any case, women are well advised to have routine pap smears taken as a precaution against cervical cancer. Depending on their sexual behavior, women and men may also be well advised to have their mouths and throats examined in order to detect possibly developing oral and throat cancers early. Today, an HPV vaccination can protect against the most common types of HP viruses (although not all of them). Details should be discussed with the vaccinating physician. Various health authorities now recommend a vaccination against HPV for all young girls between the ages of 11 and 17. Depending on their sexual behavior, the vaccination may also be advisable for older females and adolescent and adult males.