Why the Treatment of Female Genital Warts is Essential

Venereal disease seems to be running rampant these days, but it's no wonder. More and more you hear about women acquiring female genital warts which often leads to more serious conditions. What is even more concerning is that there are actually a large percentage of women who acquire them but, unfortunately, do not get treatment for female genital warts. Even though there is a tremendous amount of information "out there" about the various sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), a majority of young people choose not to protect themselves from them and wind up with one, or more, of the diseases, often wondering "why me?"

According to Avert.org, in 1997, in the US alone, there were 537,904 cases of chlamydia reported. Then, in 2008 that number rose to 1,210,523. The number of cases rose 9% just between 2007 and 2008. In 1997 gonorrhea cases that were reported stood at 327,665 and in 2008 the reported number was 336,742. The number of cases was relatively the same per population.

The fact is STDs are occurring in much larger numbers since the late 60s when the birth control pill appeared on the scene. Promiscuity has also increased. In his 2007 research article, "Trends In Premarital Sex In The United States 1954 - 2003," Lawrence B. Finer PhD demonstrates that the percentage of women who had their first sexual encounter by age 16 in 1954 was about 45%. The same group, in 1994 to 2003 produced 76% results so by that evidence alone it is obvious that more women are starting sex at an earlier age.

Many of the current STDs are easily curable except for Herpes and HIV, at least on first glance, however, the specific disease is not what is so worrisome anymore. Rather it's what that disease is carrying with it when it enters the body that is the concern.

A case in point is that of genital warts. Genital warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). This virus is attached to various "common" STDs such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphillis and herpes. Though not directly associated with any specific disease, the HPV seems to accompany many of them resulting in genital warts or venereal warts on both males and females.

Though both sexes can acquire the genital warts, it is the female genital warts that are of most concern. The reason for this concern is that the HPV that causes the female genital warts is also the culprit that often causes cervical cancer. This is a very wicked virus and though the warts can be treated and eliminated, the only way to get rid of the accompanying HPV is through the body's own immune system.

Though the warts can be eliminated, the virus continues to hang around in the body until the body forms antibodies and, in turn, destroys it, which is rare. The immune systems of some people are strong enough to take care of this chore, however, many are not and the virus remains in many for a lifetime. This is the idea behind the HPV Vaccination for young women that has become so controversial. The vaccine, of course, is not foolproof or 100% effective so many don't believe that it is worth the expense and hassle of acquiring the vaccine. However, just because the effectiveness rate is not 100% is not a good reason to avoid the vaccination.

To be more clearly understood, let us focus, for a moment, on what the vaccine can do. It was developed to "prevent" about 70% of the known HPV viruses from ever developing into cervical cancer, should they enter the body of a person who has had the vaccine. That means that there is approximately 30% of the HPVs that this vaccine will not work on. So, if a young woman has a sexual encounter, she is protected from 70% of HPV viruses that cause cancer of the cervix. She still have a 30% chance of acquiring a virus that does cause cancer.

Because she has taken the virus she will not be protected from any other type of sexually transmitted disease such as gonorrhea, chlamydia or herpes, which are known accompanyists of HPV. If she has sex and acquires the cancer causing HPV prior to having the vaccine, she will not be protected from whichever HPV is already in her body. Only from 70% of further HPV strains that she may encounter after the vaccine is taken.

The HPV vaccine takes three different injections in order to be fully effective. It is not yet known how much protection each phase provides but to be fully effective, all three phases must be completed. Currently, the vaccine costs about $125 per phase (injection).

There is an additional vaccine being considered for release by the DEA at the time of this writing. That vaccine is said to give protection from "most" cancer causing HPVs but will not protect against genital warts. Therefore a woman would be more protected from the HPV but would have to actually eliminate genital warts through some other type of procedure.

It is vital for every woman to take extreme precautions if they have suspicions of or have actually been diagnosed with female genital warts. It's not difficult to eliminate the female genital warts or any genital warts for that matter, but it is essential for the female to have a full screen performed that will tell the physician whether or not she has acquired the type of HPV that causes cervical cancer. This way, the patient and the doctor will know what the future possibilities are and can ready themselves for appropriate treatment through appropriate screening on a scheduled basis.

There are over 70 "known" strains of HPV and several of them are known to cause cancer of the cervix. There are certain activities that always raise the risk of one's acquiring HPV. Some of those include starting sex at an early age, various sex partners and unprotected sex.

For more information about HPV and treatment of female genital warts and various other health matters, visit The Healthblog Online.

The author is a Masters level RN and has studied health care and human diseases and has been published extensively. To find out why it's important to eliminate female genital warts, visit the linked, underlined web site.