How To Tell Whether You Have Been Infected With Genital Warts Or Genital Herpes
If you have been infected with a sexually transmitted infection, you may be unable to tell which one it is. There are two, genital warts and genital herpes which cause similar symptoms. However, it is important to know which condition you actually have so that you can find the appropriate treatment and keep from spreading the infection.
Genital herpes causes small bumps to form which then rupture and result in open sores which weep fluids. In the beginning, before your first outbreak of blisters, you may find that you feel pain and heaviness in the lower abdomen or flulike symptoms that can leave you feeling truly awful. Shortly after you begin to feel these symptoms the blisters will appear and you can have your first herpes outbreak.
Often, genital herpes will result in repeated bouts of sores and blisters. They can be spread through contact, or contact with infected bodily fluids. This is different than genital warts where skin to skin contact can spread the infection. With genital herpes, wearing condoms during sex can significantly reduce the chances of passing the infection on to your partner.
Genital herpes are treated in several different ways. You can use creams and lotions to soothe the sores. You can also use medications which suppress the virus in your system and can help make outbreaks much less common. You can also take medications which suppress the symptoms of genital herpes although they can make you feel ill.
Genital warts however look, behave, and are treated differently than genital herpes. Genital warts start out by looking like soft raised bumps, very similar to the warts that can grow elsewhere on the human body. They can be soft and do not generally weep fluid. They can be small and hard to notice and may burn or itch. On occasion, genital warts can also look like cauliflowers as well.
You need to know which you have since genital warts can be spread through skin to skin contact. They appear in areas that a condom may not be able to cover, and so makes it possible to pass them on to your sexual partners. They also can cause lasting health problems that genital herpes cannot. Genital warts can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to infertility in women. It can also result in cervical cancer in women as well.
You can treat genital warts in ways different than those of genital herpes. There is surgery, which can remove the warts using a laser or electro cautery. You can also have the warts frozen off and hopefully they will not come back. If they come back repeatedly, you can have them injected with interferon, but this is expensive and should only be used as a treatment of last resort.
Knowing the difference between these two conditions can make it easier to treat your symptoms and prevent spreading either infection. By learning the way the symptoms look and act, you can learn which may be affecting you or your partner. That way you can make sure you are as protected as possible.
For everything you need to know about Genital herpes and Genital warts, including what causes them, their symptoms and treatment methods, check out Wart Cream.
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