Discovering genital warts during pregnancy: What should pregnant mothers do?

For pregnant women, genital acne is a real threat. The reason is that the disease is contagious, has no specific signs and has the potential to cause many dangers to both mother and fetus. 

Pregnancy is a very sensitive stage and you have to be careful with everything. Some diseases will have specific symptoms, while others will show no signs. Genital warts are among such diseases. To avoid panic, do not know what to do when you find out you are infected, let's learn about genital warts with aFamilyToday Health through the sharing below.

What is genital warts?

Genital warts (also known as venereal warts) are a very common skin disease. In women, acne can develop on the vulva, vaginal wall, the area between the genitals and anus, cervix ... In some cases, acne can even develop in the mouth or neck. throat if you have oral sex with an infected person.

Genital warts are not inherently dangerous, but if found, you should seek immediate medical attention because genital warts are the first sign of a HPV infection . HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that is common in both men and women, and it is estimated that nearly 75% of people who have had sex have had it. HPV is often difficult to diagnose because it does not have specific signs, plus there are more than 100 different strains of the HPV virus. This is why when you visit genital warts, your doctor will order you to perform tests to accurately diagnose if you have an HPV infection.

Mostly, genital warts will go away on their own, but there are also cases that lead to cancer. Therefore, when detecting genital warts, you should see a doctor as soon as possible for appropriate treatment instructions.

It is very common for pregnant women to get genital warts, and for the most part they are not harmful. The reason is that during pregnancy, a weakened immune system combined with hormonal changes gives the opportunity for harmful viruses, including the HPV virus to easily attack the body. To minimize the risk of affecting both you and your baby, it is important to see your doctor early to determine what type of virus you have. This helps the doctors to come up with appropriate and timely treatment.

Symptoms of genital warts during pregnancy

The most common symptom is small, tender, skin-colored or dark lumps around the anus, vagina, cervix, and in the rectum. Usually, small, flat genital warts make the infected person unable to see them with the naked eye. However, sometimes genital warts can multiply into large clusters. They are painless, but you may feel itchy, burning or bleeding during sex.

How is genital warts diagnosed?

The most common and fastest way to diagnose this condition is to perform tests, including a blood test, a physical exam, and a cervical smear (a test commonly used to find abnormal cells. in the class of the cervical epithelium). If it is still not possible to make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor will order a biopsy to make an accurate diagnosis.

How is genital warts treated during pregnancy?

There is no way to get rid of the HPV virus completely, current ways can only reduce some warts or make them disappear faster. Usually, genital warts go away on their own. Therefore, you don't need to worry too much unless they continue to grow:

1. Topical cream

Usually, doctors will prescribe topical creams to treat genital warts during pregnancy. However, do not use it on your own without going to a doctor as some creams contain steroids, a substance that can adversely affect pregnancy.

2. Liquid nitrogen method

If genital warts tend to get bigger and could cause dangerous complications, your doctor can use liquid nitrogen to freeze and safely remove them. However, this method is only used when other methods have not worked.

3. Surgery

Like the nitrogen cooling method, this method can only be used if the wart is harmful to your pregnancy. Most of the time, your doctor will not appoint a pregnant woman to have a surgical procedure to remove the warts because this can cause damage to your body and affect the birth process. The doctor only recommends surgery in very serious situations and is usually done once the pregnancy has entered the second trimester.

4. Laser

Lasers are also a fairly common method used to remove genital warts. This method does not interfere with basal cells, so the risk of recurrence is quite high. In addition, the use of lasers for treatment can also cause pain during the procedure. Therefore, if the wart is not too uncomfortable, you won't need this method.

5. Medicines

There are very few drugs available to treat genital warts during pregnancy. Most medicines are prescribed only before pregnancy or after pregnancy and most of them contain steroids. Medications that are safe during pregnancy to treat HPV warts can be difficult to find. The doctor will prescribe you based on the actual condition of the pregnant mother.

Things you shouldn't do

Here are some things you should not do:

Try to figure out how to squeeze these warts

Unintentionally use medication without a prescription

Use steroid creams

Use ice to get rid of warts.

Pregnancy complications can occur with genital warts

Finding out if you have genital warts will make you extremely nervous, always wondering if this condition could cause complications for you and your baby. The answer is yes, albeit very rare:

Viruses can be passed to the baby

Childbirth is more painful because the virus weakens your immune system

Increased risk of preterm birth

Babies born may have weaker immune systems compared to other babies. This may improve as the baby gets older, but sometimes the baby needs medical care.

How can i avoid getting genital warts during pregnancy?

Genital warts are often contagious from unprotected sex. Therefore, to reduce your risk of disease, you need:

Use a condom during sex to reduce the risk of spreading

Get tested regularly for HPV

Get vaccinated against HPV to reduce the risk of getting genital warts, common warts, genital warts, molluscum  contagiosum ...

Not in contact with itchy papules, sores, papules ... on the skin of others

Actively treat during pregnancy to reduce the risk of viral infection to the baby.

The HPV virus is very contagious, if you are diagnosed with the disease, take precautions to protect yourself and loved ones. If you find that you have a disease in pregnancy, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible and absolutely do not use any medication or cream without your doctor's instructions.