Diagnosing External Genital Warts
If you think you have EGWs or have been exposed to HPV, see your doctor. While some warts are big enough to be noticeable, others may be very small and hard to see. You can also have HPV without having any warts. Only a doctor can diagnose your condition and find the best treatment for you.
What to expect at your doctor exam
Your doctor will check your genital area very closely and may use a magnifying lens to find small genital and perianal warts. A Pap test, used to assess cervical changes, can help detect HPV in women. There is currently no test for HPV in men.
What your doctor will look for:
- In women, warts can grow on the vulva, walls of the vagina, cervix, area between the external genitals and/or anus.
- In men, warts can grow on the penis, scrotum and/or anus.
Try not to feel embarrassed
EGWs are common in the US—there are at least 1,000,000 known cases a year. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported increases in the number of first-time doctor visits for EGWs each year—more, in fact, than some other common sexually transmitted diseases. You are not alone. By seeing your doctor, you're on your way to clearing up the condition.
The importance of getting treated
Some genital and perianal warts do go away on their own. However, most people need some help in getting rid of them. Left untreated, EGWs may stay the same, or can increase in number and size. The longer they go untreated, the harder they are to clear up. You need to avoid sexual contact until the warts are treated.
Important Product Safety Information
VEREGEN® Ointment, 15% is a medicine for skin use only (topical) for the treatment of warts on the outside of the genitals and around the outside of the anus. It is not a treatment for warts in the vagina, cervix, or inside the anus. Your doctor may recommend examination and screening tests (such as a Pap smear) to evaluate these areas.
VEREGEN® has not been evaluated to treat urethral, intra-vaginal, cervical, rectal, or intra-anal human papilloma viral disease and should not be used to treat these conditions. Avoid use of VEREGEN® on open wounds. Do not expose skin that has been treated with VEREGEN® to the sun or ultraviolet light because VEREGEN® has not been tested in these conditions. Safety and efficacy of VEREGEN® have not been established in immunosuppressed or pediatric patients, or pregnant women, or for the treatment of external genital and perianal warts beyond 16 weeks or for multiple treatment courses.
The most common adverse reactions that occurred in more than 20% of patients in studies with VEREGEN® were reactions of the skin and application site. These included reddening of the skin, itching, burning, pain or discomfort, skin ulcers, wearing down of the skin, swelling, hard spots, and rash with blisters.
VEREGEN® (sinecatechins) Ointment Full Prescribing Information
