Genital Warts - Causes and Risks

Few people realize that genital warts is actually a symptom of a virus. Known as the human papilloma virus, many people around the world have had some type of the virus. There are over 100 different kinds of the virus that can cause warts to appear on various parts of the body. The warts may be spread through many different methods, and genital warts may be spread easier than you may think. In this article, we'll discuss how you can become afflicted with genital warts and who faces the highest levels of risk.

Those who are at the highest levels of risk for developing the type of human papilloma virus that is responsible for genital warts include those who are faced with a compromised immune system. Those who use immune system-depressing drugs may be more at risk, and those who have poor levels of nutrition and/or hygiene are known to be the most susceptible. Those with another type of sexually transmitted disease are also more likely to become afflicted with genital warts.

While genital warts are most often spread through the act of performing unprotected sex often, even those who use condoms may be at risk for developing the disease. The reason for this is that the human papilloma virus rests in the skin, and there are some parts of the body that are not covered by a condom when having intercourse that may rub up against the other partner's skin. Due to that, using a condom does not completely confirm that you will not develop genital warts should your partner have them. Consequently, not everyone who has unprotected sex with someone that has genital warts is going to actually contract the disease themselves; as a matter of fact, only two out of every three people who have unprotected sex with someone with genital warts will come down with the disease. One terrible aspect of genital warts is the fact that it doesn't necessarily matter when you performed the unprotected sex when it comes to when the symptoms start to show up. You may notice the warts growing within a month; in other cases, however, the disease may not begin to show itself for years.

There has been a recent development in genital warts that may prove to provide some type of help when it comes to decreasing one's risk for getting the disease. The Food and Drug Administration of the United States of America has recently approved the use of a vaccine which promises to provide protection against the disease, and many are considering the idea of giving the vaccine to girls between the ages of 11 and 12 to help them to avoid exposure to the disease, which can cause the most trouble in women. This is due to the fact that genital warts may cause growth abnormalities of the cervix that can lead to cervical cancer.

To keep your risk for developing the disease to a minimum, you need to ensure that you are employing the safest sexual practices that you can. Keep healthy and clean, and if you notice the presence of genital warts on a sexual partner, ensure that they get them treated before resuming sexual activity.

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