Symptoms of genital warts in women

If female genital warts are not detected and treated quickly and appropriately, the disease will become serious, even complications into cervical cancer. Because in addition to the genital HPV strains that cause genital warts, there are other strains that can cause cancer.

Unlike men, genital warts in women are difficult to detect and treat because the structure of women's genitals is more complicated. Although female genital warts do not seriously affect their health, they have a negative impact on women's psychological well-being. Therefore, as soon as detecting genital warts in women in the early stages, it is necessary to immediately visit a doctor for examination and treatment.

What is female genital warts?

Female warts  are caused by the Human papilloma virus (HPV), also known as warts. The disease manifests as wrinkled blisters like warts or cauliflower, absent on the genitals, even on the mouth and tongue. Female genital warts are not only a life-threatening social disease, but also have certain effects on women's health. 

Symptoms of genital warts in women are more difficult to recognize than in men because the structure of the female genitals is very complicated, including the vagina and clitoris.

Female genital warts caused by Human papilloma virus (HPV)

What are the causes of female genital warts?

Female genital warts are the result of infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection (STI). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), genital warts are the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, affecting about 79 million people, mostly under the age of 30, each year.

Genital warts in women can be spread in many different ways, namely: 

Sexually transmitted diseases 

This is the most common way of spreading genital warts in women. HPV can be spread during unprotected sex, and it can also be spread when a man's penis doesn't go deep into a woman's vagina. 

Women can get genital warts if they have skin-to-skin contact or have oral or anal sex with an infected husband or partner. 

Mother-to-child transmission 

Pregnant women with female genital warts must be treated aggressively before delivery, because the virus can enter the infant's airways through the mother's genitals, leading to death. Genital warts can put pregnant women at risk of cervical , vaginal, vulvar and anal cancers ; life-threatening uncontrolled bleeding; risk of cesarean section; risk of transmission from mother to child during childbirth. Therefore, it is extremely important to treat pregnant women before giving birth to avoid these dangers. 

Pregnant women with genital warts can pass the infection on to their babies during vaginal delivery. In addition, after birth, if the baby comes into contact with the pieces on the mother's body, there is also a risk of infection into the body. HPV infection in a mother's newborn can be fatal.

Pregnant women with genital warts can pass it on to their babies during vaginal delivery

Infection through an open wound 

If you have skin-to-skin contact with someone who has genital warts but unfortunately has an open wound, you are likely to become infected. Mucus, pus, and blood are substances that transmit the virus directly from an infected person to an uninfected person. 

Infection through shared utensils 

Siblings tend to share each other's belongings, such as clothes, towels, shoes, etc., without knowing that the other is at risk.

Symptoms of genital warts in women

Because the structure of female genitalia is more complicated than that of men and the latent time is long, female genital warts are more difficult to detect, so women need to know the identification characteristics. Genital warts in women for early detection and effective treatment, minimizing the risk of transmitting the disease to husbands or sexual partners. The symptoms are as follows: 

• The presence of warts or nodules on the vagina, cervix, anus or groin, large or small labia. In case the husband and wife perform oral sex, warts may appear on the oral cavity, tongue, throat, ...
• In the early stages, the wart is small, soft, and rough to the touch. As it grows deeper, the wart spreads into a large cauliflower-shaped spot.
• With genital warts, women may experience symptoms of difficulty urinating, burning or bloody urine. Difficulty defecation, bloody stools.
• Most female genital warts don't itch or hurt, but they can tear easily and bleed during sex, which can lead to infection.

Most female genital warts are not itchy or painful

Measures to prevent genital warts in women

• Using a condom during sex reduces the risk of developing a condom. However, condoms do not cover the entire genitals. That's why it's important to get the HPV vaccine to get the best protection against the strains of the virus that can cause warts or cervical cancer. 
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends HPV vaccination for all children ages 1 to 12 and women ages 13 to 26. 
• Stopping the drug can reduce your risk of getting genital warts.

Here are some basic facts about female genital warts. Hopefully the above useful information will help you better understand the causes of the disease, early detection signs as well as current prevention.