Many people mistakenly believe that when they are diagnosed with genital warts that they also have herpes. Make no mistake about it, genital warts and herpes are two different and distinct diseases. This doesn’t mean that if you have one you can’t have the other, it means that when you are being treated or diagnosed with one, you don’t necessarily have the other.

More About Genital Warts and Herpes

Genital warts and herpes do have some similarities. Most importantly, both of these conditions are known as sexually transmitted diseases, or STD’s. Sexually transmitted diseases are those that are generally spread through skin to skin or bodily fluid to skin contact. This is the way that both genital warts and herpes are spread, and it is generally during sex.

Genital warts and herpes are not caused by the same disease or virus. Genital warts are caused by the human papilloma virus, which is very contagious with more than 5.5 million new cases being diagnosed each year in the United States alone. Herpes is caused by the herpes virus. While they are caused by catching two different viruses, there is not a cure for either of them, though there are several treatments for them both.

Genital warts and herpes are usually spread through sexual contact, so the first signs and symptoms usually appear in the genital region, but this is not always the case. The viruses can also occur in and around the anus, on the hands, in the mouth, on the lips, and even in the eyes. Both conditions may start out with redness and soreness, but genital warts are different from herpes in that they don’t turn into blisters that will eventually try up and go away. Instead, a genital wart will continue to grow until it is removed.

If you believe that you have genital warts or herpes you should see your doctor. There are medications that can make living with genital warts and herpes much more comfortable and there is a lot to learn about how you can avoid giving these conditions to your sexual partners. Seeing your doctor will also help you prevent developing cancerous cells if you have genital warts. Many people have these diseases, so if you are embarrassed to talk to your doctor about your symptoms, you shouldn’t be. Your doctor likely sees hundreds of people each year that have the same symptoms as you do, so go in and get treated to make living with these diseases more tolerable.