Have you just been diagnosed with the genital warts virus? Are you wondering what you need to do now or what the future has in store for you? It can be a stressful time to learn that you have been infected with this disease, but it is not uncommon and there are many people who experienced the same feelings before you and many people that will come after. In the United States alone, it is expected that 5.5 million cases will be diagnosed this year.

Understanding the Genital Warts Virus

The genital warts virus is usually very easy to diagnose because the warts are very specific to the disease. The genital warts virus is caused by the human papilloma virus, which is a sexually transmitted disease. The disease is usually spread by skin to skin contact with an individual who is already infected. Most people become symptomatic within three months, but many people have the disease and never have any symptoms. There are hundreds of strains of the genital warts virus with only a few actually causing warts. Symptoms of the virus often include:

• Small flesh or gray colored swellings or bumps in your genital region
• A grouping of warts anywhere on your body that have a cauliflower like appearance
• Any itching or discomfort in your genital region
• Bleeding during or after intercourse

Now that you have the genital warts virus, you need to make sure to protect the people that you are intimate with from becoming infected to. The nature of the disease is that you may not know that you are infectious, so you have to assume that you are. The use of a condom is essential to keep from spreading the disease to other people. If you had unprotected sex with other individuals you will need to contact those people and let them know that you have been diagnosed.

Today there are many treatment options for the genital warts virus. There are topical creams that can be applied to the affected area as well as the ability to freeze the warts off of the body. Surgical approaches are often considered after the less invasive treatments, but in some instances the surgical approach makes the most sense because of the size or location of the warts. You’ll need to discuss your treatment options with your doctor to decide which is the best treatment option for you.