Calling your health care provider
Call your doctor if a current or past sexual partner is found to have genital warts. Call if you have visible warts on your external genitals, itching, discharge, or abnormal vaginal bleeding. Keep in mind that genital warts may not appear for months to years after having sexual contact with an infected person.
Call your doctor if a young child is thought to possibly have genital warts.
Sexually active teens are very susceptible to HPV and should get screened for HPV infection regularly.
Prevention
Total abstinence is the only foolproof way of avoiding genital warts and other STDs. You can also avoid STDs by having a monogamous sexual relationship with a partner known to be disease-free.
Skin near the warts and around the genitals, anus, and other areas can pass the virus from one person to the next. Therefore, male and female condoms cannot fully protect you. Nonetheless, condoms should still be used. They reduce your chances of getting or spreading STDs. These precautions must be taken at all times. HPV can be passed from person to person even when there are no visible warts or other symptoms. See: Safe sex
A new vaccine called Gardasil prevents infection against four of the HPV strains responsible for the majority of genital warts and cervical cancer in women. The vaccine is given as a series of three shots. It is for use in females only.
References
US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Licenses New Vaccine for Prevention of Cervical Cancer and Other Diseases in Females Caused by Human Papillomavirus. Rockville, MD: National Press Office; June 8, 2006. P06-77.
Kodner CM. Management of genital warts. Am Fam Physician. 2004; 70(12): 2335-42.
Stenchever, MA. Comprehensive Gynecology. 4th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby, Inc; 2001.
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