One of the most disturbing areas of sexual health problems in recent years is the prevalence of genital warts that affect both male and female sex organs; they can also be found around the anus as well. The human papillomavirus is the primary name for the various strains, also abbreviated to HPV; people are infected by sexual intercourse, oral or otherwise. The problem comes when you try to prevent contracting them as in the case of female genital warts, the woman may have them internally and unless she has recently undergone an examination, she may not know they are there; even using a condom is not guaranteed to stop the spread.

Worryingly is the length of time it can take for the infection to form them; sometimes it can be a few months or even many years.The person who contracts them however, becomes a silent carrier and that is how this disease is spreading rampantly in today's world. Ano-genital warts on male and female genitalia belong to a specific strain of human papillomavirus virus called HPV6 although there are now over 100 known types. Unfortunately women can be unwilling and unknowing carriers of warts as they are often hidden in the vagina and probably won't be discovered until she has visited her doctor for a routine examination of her cervix.

Genital warts like damp areas as it aids their multiplication and this is the case inside a woman's vagina which may exhibit some discharge. One of the safest methods of wart removal is the application of very cold liquid nitrogen by a doctor or dermatologist; however it often takes a few applications before the skin and its tissue are destroyed. Removal by liquid nitrogen is quite painless but even so it is not always possible to use this process owing to the area to be treated.

Other methods are available to medicine today, there is the older cauterizing the wart using electricity or the fairly new laser treatment. Every method is dependant on the location of the infection but they are persistent and even if they are successfully removed, they can return at a later date. Another topical treatment for genital warts is imiquimod, and while it has been formulated to help the immune system fight the infection, the liquid does not kill the virus directly nor can it stop others from forming.

While imiquimod is generally effective, there are times when it is unsafe. So a consultation with the doctor is advisable especially when a woman is expecting a baby. It also has restrictions on it's use inside the vagina and genitals or when the skin around the area is inflamed.

As with any information based on a medical problem, full information and options on genital warts should ideally be sought from a physician as this article is for general background only.