Genital warts, also known as condyloma acuminata or venereal warts, are a form of sexually transmitted disease (STD). Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) which is spread by direct contact with an infected partner through vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse. These warts develop in the genital areas including the vagina, vulva, cervix, urethra, and anus of infected women, and the penis and anus of infected men.
Some genital HPV infections do not cause visible warts, yet can lead to more serious conditions such as cancer. HPV is now considered to be the primary cause of abnormal cellular changes that lead to cervical cancer. The risk for cervical cancer appears to be highest in women infected with HPV for more than six months.
High-risk HPV are associated with moderate dysplasia and carcinoma in situ. Severe HPV types have also been associated with an increased risk for other cancers, including other genital and lung cancers. Women initially infected by one type of HPV do not develop immunity to other types.
Up to one in 10 Americans has a genital HPV infection. Between 500,000 and one million new cases occur every year. The disease can affect anyone, regardless of age, race or sexual preference.
This MediFocus Guide contains an extensive listing of citations and abstracts of recent journal articles that have been published about this condition in trustworthy medical journals. This is the same type of information that is available to physicians and other health care professionals. A partial selection of journal articles that are abstracted in this MediFocus Guide includes:
Imiquimod in clinical practice. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2000
Topical imiquimod: a review of its use in genital warts. Drugs. 1999
The management of difficult anogenital warts. Sexually Transmitted Infections. 1999
Genital warts and their treatment. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 1999
Viral sexually transmitted infections: current management strategies. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy & Therapeutics. 1999
Modeling the impact of treatment options in genital warts: patient-applied versus physician-administered therapies. Clinical Therapeutics. 1999
Treatment of anogenital warts. Dermatologic Clinics. 1998
Traditional therapies for the treatment of condylomata acuminata (genital warts). Australasian Journal of Dermatology. 1998
External genital warts: report of the American Medical Association Consensus Conference. AMA Expert Panel on External Genital Warts. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 1998
Genital warts: their etiology and treatment. Nursing Times. 1998
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