How Long Does Genital Warts Last (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 2 years

Genital warts are tiny, elevated growths that are normally painless. Condyloma acuminata is the medical term for genital warts. Genital warts are flesh-colored bumps that are normally soft to the touch and occur around the genitals. The Human papillomavirus can cause genital warts, which is a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

The HPV strain that causes genital warts is not the same as the one that causes genital malignancies like cervical cancer. In the United States, HPV is the most frequent viral sexually transmitted illness. HPV is a virus that cannot be cured once it has been caught. They can go away on their own over time, but medication speeds up the healing process.

How Long Does Genital Warts Last?

The longevity of genital warts varies from person to person. Warts can sometimes be cured by the immune system in a few months. Warts and HPV are gone from the body after 2 years.

Skin-to-skin contact during intercourse is how genital warts spread. The HPV that causes genital warts is most commonly transmitted through vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse, as well as intimate sexual contact with the genital area. Even if you don’t have penetrative intercourse or ejaculate, you can obtain and pass on warts by touching genitals with someone (cum). Oral intercourse can also spread genital warts, which can harm the mouth and throat.

Many people who are infected with HPV do not get warts. If you do get warts, they appear within a few months or after a few years. Females may get warts around the vulva, vagina, cervix, or anus, while males may develop warts near the penis, scrotum. Genital warts cause bleeding, genital irritation, pain, and a burning feeling. If you have any of these symptoms, see a doctor.

Warts in the genital area afflict both men and women. Teenagers and young adults are the most commonly affected. Men are at a higher risk than women. If you don’t use condoms when having sex, have several sexual partners, smoke, or have a weaker immune system, you’re more likely to acquire genital warts.

External genital warts are commonly diagnosed by looking at them. Internal warts are more difficult to detect. Doctors use a pelvic exam, blood tests, anal exam, and biopsy to detect warts.

Why Does Genital Warts Lasts So Long?

The viruses that cause genital warts are extremely contagious, so they last for a long time. Once you are infected with the virus, you will always be contagious. You can still infect another person with HPV and genital warts even if you don’t have symptoms like genital warts or if you’ve had warts treated and removed.

The earlier genital warts are treated, the simpler they can remove. The therapy you receive will be determined by the number of warts you have and where they are located. Medicinal lotions or ointments, surgeries, or injectables are all options for the therapy. Podofilox, imiquimod, and green tea extract are ointments. Electrocautery, laser therapy, freezing, and excision are some of the treatments your doctor may use to treat genital warts.

You can lower your chance of contracting HPV and genital warts by using condoms, receiving the HPV vaccination, having routine STD testing and treatment, quitting smoking, and informing your sexual partners if you have HPV or genital warts so they can get tested and treated.

Conclusion

Warts in the genital area are a common and curable side effect of HPV infection. Even if your genital warts go away on their own, HPV may still stay in your body. Treatment will aid in the removal of warts and the prevention of future breakouts, but you may need to repeat treatments to remove warts. Always use a condom when having intercourse, as HPV can spread even if there are no warts.

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1048137/
2. https://academic.oup.com/ajcp/article-abstract/102/6/768/1755567