Genital warts in men are a sign of a contagious disease caused by the human papillomavirus. For the correct prescription of treatment, specialists differentiate them from wide genital warts, which are a sign of HIV, and flat ones, reflecting the acute course of HPV in the body.
Causes of genital warts in men
Genital warts, or condylomas, appear in men infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) during sexual intercourse with a sick partner. What kind of sex was - vaginal, oral or anal, does not matter if intercourse took place without a condom.
With unprotected intercourse, abrasions and microcracks on the male organ become the gateway for the penetration of any sexually transmitted infections.
As the virus activates in the body, pathological formations are located on the genitals and can surround the anus. They cover the man's penis completely or focus only on his head. The scrotum can also be "decorated" with arrays of thin warts.
What do genital warts look like?
Genital warts are small oblong formations, the formation of which is explained by the uncontrolled growth of the epithelium. Their color can be pale pink or slightly different from the color of the body. The size of the warts varies from 2 to 6 mm.
Single warts can be scattered throughout the groin area, but clusters of bright formations that resemble cauliflower are not uncommon. Warts that have gathered in a single array on any of the parts of the intimate zone are called Bushke-Levenshtein's warts in medicine.
However, a man does not always notice changes in his genitals. In some patients, microscopic flat and endophytic warts were found only on physical examination.
How dangerous are genital warts for a man's health?
Genital warts are a clear sign of the presence of HPV in the body. Therefore, when the first changes appear in the groin area, you should consult a doctor. In the absence of timely treatment, warts will be injured by underwear or during intercourse, which is dangerous by the development of precancerous conditions and directly by cancer of the genital organs.
When genital warts appear, you should stop having sex until the end of treatment, otherwise the warts injured during intercourse will hurt, itch and bleed.
Some men, when genital warts appear, believe that they were infected with a sexually transmitted disease. However, this opinion is erroneous. Warts on the genitals are both a manifestation of HPV and an alarming signal from the body about a deterioration in the state of the immune system. So, if a significant part of the groin area is hung with warts, it means that there is a need for diagnosis and correction of the immune status. In addition to the main treatment, which consists in the use of antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs, the patient will be offered laser or radiosurgical removal of warts as a cosmetic defect and a healthy lifestyle will be recommended.
