Genital Warts Treatment

Who should get treatment for genital warts?

Genital warts are caused by the HP Virus (HPV), and estimations for this range from 50-80% in South Africans under 25. When infected, some individuals will display visible warts commonly found around the genitals, hands, and feet.

Whilst it is not possible to cure HPV, you may choose treatment for a variety of reasons, including:

• To avoid spreading them to other parts of their body
• To remove the reminder that they are there
  
• If the warts itch, bleed, or are painful
• If large warts make having bowel movements difficult or painful
• If the warts are painful or cause bleeding with sex
• If they are pregnant

Unfortunately, even if you treat visible warts and they go away, you can still pass the virus that caused your warts (HPV) to your sexual partners.

What are my genital wart treatment options?

At Get Tested, we offer two forms of treatment (Basic and Advanced)

Basic (2 weeks)

This option provides you with an acid that can burn off the wart and kill off the wart tissue in the local area.

There's a risk of scarring in the area depending on your body's reaction to the acid

Advanced (2 weeks)

The advanced option uses a prescription cream that stimulates your body's immune system to suppress the virus' activity in the area.

This can also potentially reduce your infectivity (although it does not completely remove the risk).

The risk of scarring is reduced in this option but you may find freckle-like spots where the wart once resided at the end of the treatment.

What other tests or treatments should I consider?

We recommend that all individuals with warts consider 2 other option

1. HPV Testing (LINK)

2. HPV Vaccine