Is Genital Warts Curable Forever or Not?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions men and women with genital warts have. Unfortunately, there isn’t a straightforward answer. Genital warts are caused by a virus called the human papilloma virus (HPV). There are currently 70 known varieties of this virus but only a few of them lead to the development of genital warts.

There is currently no cure for HPV. The body will heal itself of some forms of HPV and there is a vaccine called Gardasil that works to prevent people from getting the virus, but once you have it you are stuck with it for the rest of your life. Having said that, though, the genital warts that grow as a result of the virus can be removed, which means you are not stuck with genital warts forever and always.




Treatment for Genital Warts

Genital warts are basically skin growths that develop in reaction to the HPV virus. There are two ways they can be removed: by dissolving them using medication or surgically removing them. There are about 6 medications currently approved for the treatment of genital warts. Three of those medications – podophyllum, trichloroacetic acid, and interferon alpha-n3 – must be administered in the doctor’s office. The other three – podofilox, 5-fluorouracil, and imiquimod – can be administered at home.

These medications attack the warts in different ways. Podophyllum and podofilox gradually dissolves the genital wart tissue while tricholoacetic acid burns them off. Interferon alpha-n3 and imiquimod work with the body’s natural healing processes to attack the warts from the inside. 5-Flurouracil interferes with the warts growth by destroying their DNA. Without the DNA, the existing warts eventually die off.



Prescription medication works with varying levels of success. Not all prescription drugs work for everyone, so you may need to try several treatments before you find the one that works for you. However, all of these pharmaceutical drugs cause adverse side effects. For example, 5-flurouracil may cause burning or irritation, and makes the skin more sensitive to the sun. Podophyllum may bleach the treated skin.

You can opt for surgical methods of removal if you don’t want to chance the side effects from using medication. Be aware, though, that surgery cannot be used in all situations. Additionally, surgery may cause unsightly scarring, particularly if the warts are large.

Natural Treatments for Genital Warts

A good compromise is to purchase a genital wart medication made from natural ingredients that get rid of the warts without damaging the body. Though many over-the-counter medications claim to do this, we only found a few that actually made good on their promises. These medications eradicated the warts within a short period of time without the adverse side effects associated with pharmaceutical drugs. For more information about these remedies, go to the homepage to read our reviews of the popular genital warts treatments available.



Return of the Genital Warts

Once you remove the warts, there is a chance they will grow back. Some people are lucky and remain wart free for the rest of their lives. Other people have genital warts that go through cycles of latency and activity. So the final answer to the question of whether genital warts are curable forever is that they are not. With the right medication, though, you can keep your outbreaks under control.

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