How to Treat Genital Warts

Flat Genital Warts Information…Up until the early 1900s, genital warts were thought to be a form of syphilis or gonorrhea, which were both sexually transmitted diseases. Human Papilloma Virus which causes genital warts is also a sexually transmitted disease and in fact is now the most commonly transmitted STD.

There are over 100 strains of the HPV virus, though some medical researchers believe the number to be as high as 130 or more. Some of these strains of HPV can cause genital warts including flat genital warts while other strains cause the common or flat warts which usually occur in children.

The two completely different types of warts should not be confused.

Flat Genital Warts is just a descriptive term to describe all the different genital warts when they happen to have a flat appearance. If genital warts appear, they usually occur as small growths on the genital areas. They can be small individual warts or they can accumulate into large groups of warts on the genital tissues. And of course they can be flat in appearance.

If not treated, a genital wart may grow quickly and take on a fleshy and cauliflower-like appearance. The first indication of their presence may well be a painful or itchy feeling in that area particularly during sexual intercourse.

These genital warts can appear in the vagina, cervix, on the penis and in the anal area. All of them are very contagious and are primarily transmitted through sexual contact. Once the virus becomes established in the genital skin area and beyond in the vagina, the cervix or the anus, it can remain dormant or multiply to cause a genital wart.

The genital wart is the most contagious stage but a dormant virus can also be infectious and condoms do not necessarily protect either party against infection.

Flat Genital Warts are benign tumors and as we have said, they usually occur in children. Flat warts are only about the size of a pinhead and end in a point off the skin. They are smoother than other kinds of warts and have flat tops.

Flat warts can affect any area of the body (apart from the genitalia) but usually appear on the face, fingers, hands, arms and knees and sometimes in clusters with as many as a hundred together. Even though flat warts are so small, they may have a negative effect on the child’s self image and occasionally they itch or hurt.

There are many other names given to flat warts such as juvenile warts, periungual warts, plantar warts, verrucas and subungnual warts. Flat warts are similar to the color of the skin and can therefore be pink, brown or yellow.

Flat Genital Warts… About 25 percent of warts disappear within 6 months while most will go away in 2 to 3 years. They are quite common in childhood and usually cause no serious problems. But if they are a nuisance to your child, they can be treated successfully.

Go to our Genital Warts Treatment page