Wish to know all about genital warts? They are also called condyloma acuminata and appear as flat, flesh coloured, raised growths that can be found in the genital region of both men and women. In fact it is one of the most common diseases that is transmitted sexually and is deemed to be highly contagious. Caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), it may produce an infection that could or could not have apparent symptoms. There are over 100 different strains that are present in the Human Papilloma virus and about 40 of these are capable to cause genital warts. The strain that is responsible for causing cancers in individuals is the 16, 18, 31 and the 45 strains and subtype.
To understand all about genital warts it is important to know that the virus responsible has the ability to penetrate the skin and the mucus area through even a small abrasion. After an infection has occurred, the symptoms may or may not appear and can take months or even years to occur.
When learning about genital warts, you should know that the chances that you will get this infection after one single sexual contact with an infected person are about 60%. In fact almost two third of individuals who have unprotected sex with an infected partner have the chances of developing these warts within a couple of months. This virus can infect both the sexes and can strike at any age. In the case of children, the virus can spread through indirect or manual contact. However the presence of the infection in children can be a result of sexual abuse too. Using proper birth control methods such as condoms or birth control pills and by cutting down on unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners one can reduce the risk of genital warts to a great extent.