Medical expert of the article
New publications
Genital warts in men
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Causes of genital warts in men
Condylomas (genital warts) are defined as neoplasms arising from epithelial cells and localized primarily in warm and humid places of the human body. These rigid structures can be observed on the frenulum of the penis of a man, around the external opening of the urethra, on the penis and scrotum, and also they can spread to the area around the anus. Less often, this pathology can also form in the mouth of a person (if oral sex is practiced). Without a doubt, condylomas are a consequence of the influence of viruses obtained by a person through sexual intercourse or oral contact with the partner's sexual organs, with perverted relationships, if anal sex is practiced.
After the pathogenic microorganism, which is predominantly the human papillomavirus (HPV), has penetrated the body of a man, for a long time it can not manifest itself. Progression will begin only when certain conditions that meet the requirements for its reproduction take shape, mainly this weakening of the immune system of the human body.
The causes of genital warts in men, which primarily lead to a decrease in the protective forces of man, and then to the progression of the development of these genital warts:
- Irrational nutrition.
- Abuse of nicotine and alcohol.
- Prolonged emotional stress.
- Severe hypothermia of the human body or, conversely, heat stroke.
- Hypodinamics - low motor activity.
- Accumulation of the secret of the foreskin.
If the human body weakens, then it becomes accessible to the penetration of any infection.
And now it is worthwhile to focus on the causes of genital warts in men, which increase the risk of direct infection with this infection, leading to the formation of these pathological processes.
- Random sex, frequent change of partners.
- Early age of first sexual relations.
- Propensity to perverse coitus.
- Microtrauma in sexual intercourse.
- Conducting sexual intercourse without the use of barrier protection (condoms).
Condylomas - epithelial neoplasms on the skin of the representatives of the stronger sex are found in two types - these can be flat or pointed processes. Wide and flat neoplasms are quite rare and are among the most dangerous pathologies. Such formations have a high risk of transforming into malignant cancerous tumors that affect the male reproductive system. Most often, genital warts are diagnosed in men, which in most cases are localized in the region of the anus.
According to statistics, the risk group is mainly young people under 25 who have entered into an active sex life and are still in search of a permanent sexual partner.
Symptoms of genital warts in men
Getting into the human body, the infection for a while behaves latently, waiting for the right time to begin to develop. The incubation period of a pathogenic microorganism can be from three weeks to nine months. When both partners were examined, 70% of the couples were both infected, and in most cases they were diagnosed with other infectious lesions, which can only be acquired through sexual relations.
If there are conditions under which the infection "awakened" and began to actively progress, then there are symptoms of genital warts in men who are able to become a signal indicating the presence of this pathology.
Symptoms of genital warts in men are manifested:
- An uncomfortable sensation that appears in the place of formation of a conglomerate of genital warts.
- Minor pain symptoms in the lower abdomen.
- The appearance of burning and itching in the genital area.
- Increased pain and discomfort while walking.
- Painful sex.
- Increase in emissions.
- Sprouting on male genital organs or in the anus of the anus of papilliform formations. Genital warts are single and multiple. Visually, it is possible to observe the growth of pointed condensed neoplasms resembling a bunch of grapes "lady fingers" or a comb of a cock.
- Painful urination - if genital warts in men are located near the opening of the urethra.
- If they are located at the exit channel of the anal opening, painful and with blood secretions, there can be defecation.
- The process itself has the form of a papule, that is, a pale formation. Condyloma connects with the mucous layer with a thin filament or a small column with capillaries. The hue of the neoplasm directly depends on the location of its localization and can be from pale pink to bard color.
With the advanced form of the disease, the symptomatology expands and the following symptoms can be added to the voiced symptoms:
- General intoxication of the body.
- Headache.
- Decrease in the general tone of the body.
- Occurrence of chills and drowsiness.
- Increase in body temperature.
- There is a high probability of depression.
- This disease is also a psychological stress for the human body. The behavior of a man who "picked up" this disease can dramatically change.
- Sometimes doctors fix the asymptomatic course of the disease.
Primarily papules have a small size, but over time they progress in growth, gradually connecting with the same processes, forming a conglomerate. If the pathology is located in a place where it lends itself to permanent trauma, genital warts in men begin to bleed and produce an unpleasant fetid odor. In this period, the male organism may undergo an invasion of a secondary infection.
It should be somewhat reassured the respondents that condyloma is a benign tumor. Only a small percentage of such neoplasms (about 3%) have a real risk of becoming a cancer. The precancerous state of cells adjacent to condylomas is the result of the accumulation of oncogenic papillomavirus infection in tissues. And if there is at least a small chance of rebirth, this pathology must be removed, and the sooner, the better.
Diagnosis of genital warts in men
With any arising pathology, it is desirable to identify and treat it as early as possible. Do not start the course of the disease, the progression of its development can lead to significant complications and transformation into another pathology, which may already be irreversible.
Diagnosis of genital warts in men is reduced to the following steps:
- Establishing a patient who is sick of symptoms. Already at this stage, an experienced doctor can diagnose the disease.
- When identifying genital warts, all the places that are most likely to be localized are necessarily examined. The examination of the rectum, the oral cavity, the organs of the reproductive system of men: penis, scrotum, bridle.
- The patient must donate blood for testing - for testing for HIV infection, syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections.
- If it is necessary to clarify the diagnosis and obtain a complete picture of the disease, the doctor can prescribe to the patient a sigmoidoscopy (examination of the mucous membrane of the rectum and the final section of the sigmoid colon using a special optical device - the rectoscope).
- If there is even the slightest suspicion of the cancerous character of the cells, then a histological analysis is necessarily carried out.
- Neoplasms in the urethra can be identified by conducting urethroscopy (a method of examining the urethra with a special urethroscope device).
- To establish the diagnosis represents a certain complexity only at the preclinical stage of the disease. But in this case, the suspicious area is smeared with a swab soaked in a 3% solution of acetic acid. After five to ten minutes, the expert conducts, using a colposcope or magnifying glass, inspection of the treated area. The shade of the healthy area remains unchanged, but the condylomas noticeably turn pale.
During the diagnosis of genital warts in men, it is possible to identify, if available, and another infection. For example, viruses such as syphilis, gonorrhea, AIDS, chlamydia. In such a situation, it is very important to prevent the transition of pathological changes to the neglected form of leakage, which is fraught with their transformation into cancerous growths.
What tests are needed?
Who to contact?
Treatment of genital warts in men
It should be remembered that genital warts in men are benign neoplasms, but tend to degenerate into an oncological disease. Proceeding from this, treatment of genital warts in men reduces to the removal of this pathology, regardless of the size, shape and location. The excised tissue is necessarily sent to a biopsy (the collection of tissue cells of the body for further investigation).
If the diagnosis is established, the doctor signs the treatment, which is aimed at solving a number of problems:
- Enhancement of the immune defense of the male body.
- Deactivation of the pathogenic virus. To my great regret, today's medical methods are impossible to completely rid the body of the papilloma virus.
- At the same time, there is a stopping of another detected infection.
Now we will understand in more detail the peculiarities of treatment of genital warts in men.
The protocol of this therapy, in addition to the removal of genital warts, includes the use of antiviral and immunostimulating drugs.
High therapeutic efficacy is indicated by the use of such antiviral, immunomodulating medications as panavir, geviran, immunomax, famvir, ribavirin, acyclovir, imunofan, inharone, erazaba, isoprinosine, ferrovir, drivir and many other drugs.
The solution of panavir is injected very slowly, jetting into the vein. During the first week of therapy, injections are administered three times with a difference of 48 hours or twice with a difference of 72 hours. The recommended therapeutic amount of medication administered is 200 μg, which corresponds to one ampoule or one vial of the drug.
If the doctor is prescribed this drug in the form of rectal suppositories, they are injected into the rectum one suppository three times during one week with an interval of 72 or 48 hours. This interval is determined by the attending physician depending on the severity of the pathological changes.
If the clinical picture requires re-treatment, then the course of therapy can be repeated in a month.
Panavir is contraindicated for use if the patient suffers from an individual intolerance to the component composition, with a tendency to allergic reactions to such substances as arabinose, mannose, xylose, glucose, rhamnose, and the patient's age to 12 years.
Isoprinosine, when taken orally, is washed down with the necessary amount of liquid so that the preparation does not crush. The most effective time to enter the medication is immediately after a meal. The recommended daily dosage for adult patients is 50 mg per kilogram of patient weight divided into three to four doses. This amount corresponds to approximately six to eight tablets.
In case of severe infection, the dose of the prescribed isoprinosine can be doubled and taken at the rate of 100 mg per kilogram of the patient's weight, but already divided into four to six meals per day.
The maximum daily amount of the drug administered should not exceed 3 to 4 g.
The duration of treatment, on average, is from five days to two weeks.
In case of a recurrent disease, the doctor appoints the patient to take two tablets three times during the day. The duration of therapy can be from two to four weeks.
The drug is prohibited for prescription if the patient has a history of hypersensitivity to the component composition of the drug, gout, kidney dysfunction, and cardiac arrhythmia.
Perfectly work on improving the immune system, such drugs as echinacea, immunal, tincture of eleutherococcus. All of them are plant-based and under certain conditions are more preferable in the appointment.
The tincture of Eleutherococcus is taken by the patient for a month every half an hour before the expected meal. To get the expected effect, it will be enough to drink twenty to thirty drops of tincture.
During the treatment it is desirable to refrain from taking coffee, strong tea, alcoholic beverages and smoking, you should adjust and normalize your diet. There are cases when compliance with all the recommendations of a specialist led to an independent resolution of the pathology (the body coped with the disease itself).
Very often, more radical therapeutic methods are included in complex treatment, which allow one to get rid of pathology in a matter of minutes. Modern medicine has a fairly wide variety of instruments for the removal of genital warts from men. The approach is purely individual. The advantage of using one method over the others is justified by the place of localization of neoplasms and their size.
Modern methods of cauterization:
- Genital warts in men, located in the anus and on the penis are effectively removed with the help of such medical equipment as a radiocircular knife. The essence of this method lies in the targeted evaporation of pathological neoplasms by the current of high-frequency radio waves. This method of removal is painless and bloodless, while if the procedure is done by an experienced physician, healthy tissues do not fall under the influence of a radio knife. Carrying out this procedure requires expensive medical equipment.
- Electrocoagulation - removal of pathological growths by electric current. In modern medicine, it is used relatively rarely (it is practiced only cauterization of warts in the area of the anus), as a rather painful method. The method is referred to as traumatic techniques, after which colloid scars remain. One of the cheapest procedures.
- Cryoprigation or cryodestruction. This method of treatment is used for a sufficiently large lesion, the area should occupy not less than three centimeters. The procedure is carried out under clinical conditions using liquid nitrogen. Due to the use of low temperatures, it becomes possible to remove condylomas. After the procedure, rough scars are not formed. This technique is absolutely painless and not expensive enough.
- Laser coagulation with a special laser knife, sending a laser beam, allows you to work only on the affected parts of the epidermis. This is an expensive, but non-contact and fairly effective method of removing genital warts from men. During the procedure, local anesthesia is used. The focus of the lesion should be more than three centimeters. When processing under the action of a laser beam, a small area of healthy tissue also enters.
- Chemical destruction is the treatment of genital warts with drugs, under the influence of which pathological tissues are destroyed. In this procedure, preparations such as condylline, interferon-2α, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, podophyllotoxin or imiquimod are used. This process is quite inexpensive, but safe and effective.
Do not listen to baboks or look for alternative methods to solve this disease on the Internet and engage in self-medication. The use of alternative means is unacceptable in this situation.
Better provide diagnosis, selection of methods of destruction and protocol of drug therapy to a highly qualified specialist: dermatologist, andrologist, proctologist, urologist or venereologist.
More information of the treatment
Prevention of genital warts in men
Unfortunately, modern medicine can not completely rid the body of a patient of the papilloma virus. With the removal of genital warts in men, HPV remains in the tissues adjacent to the affected area, which leaves the possibility of repeated relapses, which can often appear after three months. To protect themselves further from the return of the disease, it is necessary for the man himself to undergo a complete examination and his sexual partner should undergo the same analogous examination.
But in order to minimize the possibility of the emergence and development of the disease in question, in life a person should adhere to certain rules.
Therefore, the prevention of genital warts in men includes the following items.
- To adhere to the rules of personal hygiene must itself a representative of the stronger sex, and his partner.
- Warn early sexual life.
- In the process of coition, barrier-based methods of contraception should be used.
- Arrange your sex life, be more choosy in connections.
- It is desirable to have one sexual partner, in whose health the man is sure.
- Monitor the level of your immune system. If necessary, you can independently take a course of maintenance therapy with immunal or cicroferon.
- It should be avoided severe overcooling or, conversely, overheating.
- It is necessary to abandon bad habits, such as smoking, drugs, frequent alcohol intake.
- To lead a mobile way of life.
- Do not ignore preventive examination.
- Inflammatory-inflammatory diseases must be treated immediately and bring the body to full recovery.
- Loads should alternate with a full rest.
- Avoid stressful situations.
- Walking in the fresh air before going to bed is useful.
- Normalize physical activity.
- Food should be rational and full, filled with vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
Drawing a conclusion from the above, it is worth noting that there are two basic requirements for protecting the body from genital warts: it is a high immunity of the organism of the strong half of humanity and its legibility in protected sexual relations.
Prognosis of genital warts in men
Many, especially young people, are often infected with human papillomavirus. And in most cases, the disease either does not develop (with a high level of the immune system), or, if genital warts did appear, it is enough to undergo a course of immunostimulation and antiviral treatment to stop the pathology, and the prognosis of genital warts in men was favorable.
Some men, being carriers of HPV, never get sick with this disease, while it is quite possible to infect their partner. Even after the course of treatment, he remains the carrier of this virus.
With prolonged disregard for this problem, genital warts can swell. Constant trauma to their underwear can lead to the appearance of constantly bleeding wounds, through which an infection of a secondary infection can occur.
Sprouting of pointed warts into large conglomerates can significantly reduce the quality of life of a person, especially in his sexual area. Rarely, but cases were noted where the entire surface of the genital organs was covered with pathological neoplasms. In small cases, but there is a possibility of transformation of genital warts into cancer pathological tumors. But in this case, too, it is not worth to give up, the chance to get rid of genital warts remains, it is only necessary to involve a graduate specialist in solving this problem.
From such a disease as genital warts in men is not insured, no representative of the strong half of humanity. But in his hands to do everything to protect yourself from this pathology as much as possible. A healthy lifestyle, responsible approach to their sexual sphere, maintaining the level of the body's defenses at a high level - and the likelihood of developing the disease in question will tend to zero. This approach to your life will save yourself and relapse, even if the disease has been diagnosed and treatment is conducted. It should be at least a little more attentive to yourself and your body, so that, feeling discomfort and noticing another pathological symptomatology, promptly seek help from the appropriate specialist.
It is worth remembering that your health, and therefore the quality of life, is in your hands!