HPV - the STI without symptoms

Prescription treatments

• Cryotherapy - freezing off the wart with liquid nitrogen is inexpensive but can be painful and take several weeks.
• Podophyllin - a chemical that must be applied by your doctor and washed off after use.
• Trichloracetic acid (TCA) should also only be applied by a doctor.
• Laser therapy using an intense light to destroy the warts. Treatment can be expensive and can cause burning and scarring if not performed correctly.

Points to remember about HPV infection

• Getting rid of the warts may take one to six months and there may be recurrences, but they will eventually go.
• Smokers with HPV infections should give up, as smoking adds to the harm caused by the virus.
• Women with HPV infections should have regular cervical smear tests to catch any abnormal cells.
• Use barrier methods of contraception with sexual partners while the infection is present.
• HPV infection can lie dormant so it does not necessarily imply infidelity.
• Your current partner, and any others you have had sexual contact with in the past six months, should be checked by their doctor for signs of HPV infection.

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