How to Treat Genital Warts

Genital Warts and Pregnancy and if you are pregnant and have genital warts, you are probably very concerned about what effect this will have on your baby.

Of course, genital warts and pregnancy together is not an ideal situation and you will be wondering if you can pass genital warts, which is very contagious and highly transmittable disease to your baby.

Unfortunately there is no cure for genital warts, also called human papilloma virus (HPV).

The good news is that even if you have genital warts and you are pregnant, it is possible to treat genital warts and the baby is then only exposed to the least possible risk.

Genital Warts and Your Baby

If not treated, genital warts may and can cause a number of problems during pregnancy:

*   Sometimes genital warts get larger during pregnancy, making it difficult for the mother-to-be to urinate.
*   If they are specifically the vaginal genital warts variety, they can cause the vagina to become less elastic and possibly cause an obstruction during the actual delivery of your baby.

*  There is also the risk that such warts begin to bleed during the birth. A C-section would be necessary.
*  If your baby becomes infected with the HPV virus, he or she may also develop genital warts. The virus can even remain dormant in a child for up to 3 years after birth.
*  In rare cases, babies born to women with genital warts develop warts in their throats. Although this is very uncommon, it is a potentially dangerous condition for a baby who would require frequent laser surgery to prevent obstruction of his or her breathing passages.

While the majority of pregnant women with a past history of HPV and genital warts have healthy pregnancies and deliveries, you will see that it is vital that genital warts are treated as soon as possible, so that the pregnancy and genital warts are not a risky combination.

What Causes Genital Warts?

Warts are a type of infection caused by viruses in the HPV family of which there are more 100 different strains. Of these, some 30 strains are responsible for the appearance of genital warts which can occur on the genital and rectal area.

In women, genital warts can even grow on the cervix (inside the vagina) so that you are unaware of their existence. Some people are more naturally resistant to the HPV viruses and don’t seem to get warts as easily as others.

The big problem is that genital warts are very contagious and can be passed from one person to another during oral, vaginal or anal sex and even just by skin to skin contact when warts are present.

For Genital Warts and Pregnancy-Can Genital Warts In Pregnancy Be Treated?

When there is pregnancy and genital warts together, it is very important to treat the genital warts. Your doctor or midwife will be well aware of the importance of such treatment and will advise you accordingly.

There are some treatments which can be used by pregnant women in their home particularly in the early stages of pregnancy and these are:

*  Imiquimod (available on prescription) which is a topical cream that can be applied to external genital warts and works by boosting your immune system thereby helping your body to fight the HPV virus.

*  A natural healing product used as a genital warts treatment (available on the Internet). You need to check before purchasing that the particular product you use is safe for pregnant and nursing mothers.

An over the counter genital warts treatment is not suitable for pregnant women because strong chemicals are used which can be absorbed by your skin and possibly lead to birth defects in your baby.

Treatments By Your Doctor:

*  Trichloro-acetic acid (TCA) or Bichloro-acetic acid (BCA) repeated weekly until the warts have gone.
*  Cryotherapy where the warts are frozen by liquid nitrogen and which can be used for both internal and external warts. A local anesthetic may be needed for the pain.
*  Electrocautery where the wart tissue is destroyed with heat from an electric current.
* Laser surgery…which would be used in the case of internal genital warts or if a very large area was affected by the genital warts. Anesthesia or an epidural would be required.

Your doctor will be sympathetic and helpful regarding your pregnancy and genital warts, so let him guide you at this difficult time.

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