What Are Anal Warts?
Anal warts, also known as genital warts, are the result of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can affect both men and women. The medical term for anal or genital (anogenital) warts is condyloma acuminata.
Anal warts appear as bumps in or around the anus or genitals. They are usually pale brown, flesh-colored, or pink. Most anal warts are very small, some too small to be visible.
Warts can cluster together and form a cauliflower-shaped growth.
The infection that causes anal warts is also associated with cervical cancer, cancers of the vulva and vagina, penis cancer, anal cancer, and cancers of the mouth and throat.
Symptoms of Genital and Anal Warts
Anal warts are often invisible and painless, meaning the affected person may not know they have them. But they can cause itching, mucous discharge, or bleeding during or after intercourse.
Anal and genital warts appear on the penis, scrotum, or anus in men, and the vulva, vagina, perineum, or anus in women. They can be located inside the vagina and cervix or anus as well as on the surrounding areas.
Cause of Genital and Anal Warts
Anal and genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus, abbreviated as ‘HPV’. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and is estimated to newly infect up to 14 million people every year in the United States.
Without vaccination, experts estimate that nearly every sexually active person will be exposed to HPV at some point in their lifetime. There are many different strains of HPV, some of which can cause genital and anal warts and some of which can cause cancer.
You can be exposed to HPV through intercourse with an infected individual. Vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse all spread the virus and resulting infection. Some people develop genital warts in their mouths or throats as a result of being infected during oral sex.
Less commonly, an infection can be caused by touching or other direct contact with warts.
Though it sounds dire, most people who are infected by HPV never experience a symptom and the infection goes away without intervention. This likely contributes to the incredible widespread reach of HPV, making it common by ignorance causing many to rarely think about treatment or vaccination.
Prevention of HPV
HPV does not always cause an obvious infection. Many people with genital warts do not know they have them, and many others are infected but never show any symptoms. People pass the virus along without ever knowing it.
So how do you prevent infection? There are two methods, and which you choose will most likely depend on your age: Vaccination and Safe Sex Practices.
There are vaccines for several strains of HPV that are recommended for boys and girls as young as nine. The vaccines were developed to prevent cervical cancer associated with some strains of HPV but also protect against some strains that cause genital or anal warts.
The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends including the HPV vaccine in regular immunization protocols. First approved in 2006, the vaccines are safe and effective for preventing the strains of HPV most likely to cause cancer.
Prevention of HPV through vaccination is recommended for girls and boys around age 9 to12 before they become sexually active. It is also approved for both men and women up to the age of 45.
The other methods for preventing anal warts, genital warts, and general HPV infection are similar to those for preventing other types of sexually transmitted infections: Safe Sex. Limit your number of sexual partners, have STD/STI screenings before you become sexually active with a partner, and do not have intercourse with someone who has genital warts.
Condoms offer some protection against genital and anal warts but are not a reliable preventive strategy as this is not their purpose.
Women who have been vaccinated should still have regular pap smears to detect any cervical changes.
Treatment for Genital and Anal Warts
There is no treatment for HPV, but there are treatments for the resulting genital and anal warts. All anal and genital wart treatments are external and non-invasive.
There are a variety of topical creams and ointments that either boost your immune response to warts or destroy them outright. Some can be used at home, but others need to be applied by your doctor.
Other options are procedures to remove warts. Freezing, cauterizing, laser removal, and surgical excision are all used depending on the severity of the warts.
If you’re considering treatment for your anal warts, be aware that because the virus can remain in your body, genital warts often come back.
If you are pregnant, discuss your options with your doctor since you can pass HPV to your baby during delivery if they come in contact with genital or anal warts.
Talking to Your Doctor About Anal Warts and HPV
If you’re concerned about HPV infection or anal warts, it’s important to talk to your doctor. As telemedicine becomes more accessible and available, you may be able to have this conversation over the phone or with a video visit.
If you think you have active anal warts you should see us in person. But if you want to discuss prevention (including vaccination options), symptoms, treatment, or any other aspect of HPV or genital or anal warts, telemedicine may be an option.
Some people prefer to have sensitive conversations from the comfort and privacy of their own homes. It can also be easier to fit a visit with your doctor into a busy day if you don’t have to travel to our office.
Your best protection against HPV infection and its serious health consequences is knowledge. Learning more about vaccination, recognizing anal and genital warts, regular screening for HPV related illness, and reducing your risk all help you stay healthy.
If you’re living with anal or genital warts, regular check-ins with a doctor help you manage the symptoms and decide when treatment is necessary.
Don’t be afraid to make the call. This is a personal condition we specialize in treating. HPV is a common infection in both men and women, and genital and anal warts are a common result. If you think you may have genital or anal warts, or just want more information about human papillomavirus, call today for an appointment.
- Dr. Dale Prokupek, MD