Men can also suffer from genital warts. How to prevent them naturally and what are their main causes? We help you discover it.
Genital warts are one of the most common sexually transmitted conditions, affecting both men and women. Although this problem is not as widespread as other venereal diseases, it is necessary to know more about its causes and symptoms.
Genital warts appear as a result of infection with the Human Papilloma Virus, which is also known as HPV. This virus spreads very easily when there is skin contact with an infected person. For this reason, in this article we will also tell you the ways to prevent and reduce the risk of contact.
Why do genital warts appear?
Genital warts are caused by the human papilloma virus. This virus has a large number of varieties, although not all of them cause genital warts.
This virus can be on our skin for a long time until symptoms begin to appear. That is, you can be infected and not appear warts until a few months or even years later.
How do genital warts affect men?
As we mentioned, this is a condition that occurs through sexual contact. For this reason, these genital warts are also known as venereal warts. For this reason, the most common place where warts appear is on the penis or in nearby areas such as the testicles, groin and anus.
Its appearance can resemble a cauliflower, be flat or bulky. Genital warts feel soft to the touch and can often be seen with the naked eye.
This occurs since HPV infection occurs through contact with the skin of an infected person during sexual intercourse. Although using a condom is essential as a method of protection, unfortunately it only protects the contact of the penis with the skin of the other person, and not the rest of the surrounding areas.
When contact occurs through receptive anal intercourse, the risk of contagion is greater. Infection can also occur in oral sex, if the virus is present in the partner’s genitals. This can lead to venereal warts appearing on the mouth, lips, tongue, roof of the mouth, and throat.
It is important to bear in mind that some varieties of the Human Papillomavirus –although not those that cause warts- are the cause of some forms of cancer. Penile cancer, anal cancer, and or pharyngeal cancer (back of the throat, tonsils, or underside of the tongue) occur in men.
How can men protect themselves from getting genital or venereal warts?
The main recommendations for men have to do with avoiding direct contact with the areas of greatest risk as much as possible. For example, as we said something before, with using a condom to have vaginal, anal or oral intercourse.
In case of performing oral sex on a woman in order to have protection, it is recommended to cut a condom for oral sex with scissors, so that you are left with a rectangle of latex that we will place on the vagina to avoid direct contact with the mouth.
In case of having anal intercourse, the other man must use a condom. Remember that to prevent genital warts as for other sexually transmitted diseases, the condom must be placed before the first contact and used until the end of the relationship.
It is also suggested to reduce the risk of contagion, reduce the number of sexual partners or avoid having relationships with people who have unsafe sex.
