Your Options Regarding Genital Wart Removal
If you have never had genital warts, consider yourself lucky because genital wart removal is no picnic. The human papilloma virus or HPV is the virus which causes these warts in the genital area just like with other warts on the body as well. Because you can contract genital warts though sexual intercourse, this condition is labels as a sexually transmitted disease.
Your genital warts can form anywhere in the area such as the rectum, genitals, vagina and cervix. Be advised that treatment and removal of these warts should only be done under a doctor's care, so do not try and use the over the counter wart remedies you might find in the drug store. These will definitely burn your sensitive genital area and you would end up going to the doctor anyway!
Doctor-Aided Genital Wart Removal
While genital warts can go away on their own, chances are that you don't want to wait on the off-chance that they do. Therefore, there are several options in terms of removing these warts that are causing discomfort or pain. One such option is cryotherapy in your doctor's office. This involves the application of liquid nitrogen on the genital warts to freeze them before removal.
Electrocautery is essentially burning off the warts and is typically used only for external wart removal. Laser genital wart removal and even surgery to remove warts are other options that require the aid of a doctor or surgeon. Lasers and surgical options are both also for external warts only while the cryotherapy listed above is primarily for cervical warts.
Topical or Injectable Treatment for Genital Wart Removal
Interferon is a popular option for genital wart removal for those people who wish a less invasive approach. This drug is derived from a chemical made in your own body and is injected into the warts to shrink them or totally get rid of them. Sometimes, the injections of interferon are done after an electrocauterization procedure. The time allotted for interferon injection treatments is typically several weeks with injections three times a week.
Various creams and gel treatments also exist for genital wart removal and are often tried first depending on the frequency and number of them present. For the most part, these creams and gels are used only on external warts as the chemicals in them could burn sensitive tissues inside the vagina or rectum. Trichloracetic acid (TCA) and podophyllin have to be applied by a physician but other prescribed treatments like podofilox and imiquimod can be applied by your own hand.
Keep in mind that recurrence of genital warts is likely to occur because this virus lies dormant in your body. Unfortunately, genital wart removal does not eradicate the condition completely. Only through safe sex can you thoroughly avoid contracting this sexually transmitted disease.