Genital warts are caused by certain strains of human papilloma virus (HPV), and is the most common sexually transmitted diseases around today. People who are sexually active are at risk to contract genital warts at some point in their lifetime. One percent of men who are sexually active will contract genital warts during their lifetime, 1% might not seem like a high percent but that is 1/10 in men walking the streets in the U.S.

Genital warts in men are less common than in women (sorry ladies but it is true). Men contract genital warts by skin on skin contact through sexual intercourse. In many cases, a man may not even realize he has genital warts until the sign point to yes. Genital warts can stay hidden under the skin for months and even years for many men. You may contract genital warts and pass them onto your next partner without even realizing it.

The symptoms of genital warts in men include the presence of warts themselves which can look flat or become cauliflower-like. The growth of genital warts can occur on the penis itself penis, thighs, anus and testicles. If you start to notice something that wasn’t there before you need to start getting your doctors phone number ready to make an appointment very soon. If you don’t, you will pay dearly later - not only physically but with your wallet as well.

A screening test will help you better identify what you do have and not what you think it may. Yearly pap tests recommended are to check for HPV genital warts in men. This test is highly recommended for people who are either gay, bisexual or HIV positive. How does the screening test work? The screening test looks for any abnormal anal cells. You can start checking your genitals for any skin abnormalities or bumps that shouldn’t be there. Genital warts are very sneaky and can sprout up at any time.

It is sad to say that there is no known cure to kill the human papillomavirus completely. There is good news because there are treatments to kill the symptoms of genital warts but the symptoms of genital warts as soon as the genital warts are detected. If there are genital warts on the skin, a topical application should work in most cases. When genital warts progress to a more serious level then a surgical option may be best by using lasers and freezing the genital warts off. Also radiation therapy, chemotherapy has been known to help kill more serious cases of genital warts. Obviously these methods will need to be performed by a doctor. Do not try to freeze your genital warts yourself or cutting them off on your own. If you do, you can dial 911 right now.

When trying to prevent the spread of genital warts, there isn’t much that can be done. You should use a condom during sexual intercourse but the genital warts can form around the exposed skin as well. It is hard to prevent something when you don’t know you actually have it. The best thing you can do is let your partners know and see if they want to risk becoming infected. Contracting the human papillomavirus doesn’t mean you will get genital warts either.

You should get frequent check ups by a doctor if you do know you have the HPV in your body. This will better determine how serious your case is if you do not see any visible symptoms. It is rather embarrassing when you find something in your special area that wasn’t there before. You should seek treatment no matter how embarrassed you might feel. It is better to feel embarrassed and become healthy then ignoring your problem until surgery is your only option for genital wart removal.