The girl I've been shacking up with just recently found out she's got genital warts (from a past boyfriend). I used protection every time we did it, but my friends say I'm still at risk. Is this true? And if so, how do I know if I'm infected?
--R.R., Cheyenne, WY
If you faithfully used a condom every time you did the nasty, your chances of having contracted genital warts--or HPV (human papilloma virus)--are fairly low, according to Martin Resnick, M.D., president of the American Urological Association.
"If you're still worried, though, it's easy to do a quick self-exam" he says. Just look for small, cauliflower-like growths on your penis or scrotum. (If you do find something, it's not the end of the world. More than 20 million other Americans are in your boat.)
Genital warts can be treated in two ways. For mild eases, kill warts with a prescription ointment, like Polyphenon. "For worse cases, the warts may need to be frozen or burned off with acid," says Resnick. (Sounds bad, but the procedure is actually painless.) The one big drawback to being infected? Even though you can get rid of the warts, your relief may only be temporary. Since the virus that triggers the warts is permanently in your bloodstream, warts can come back at any time--months or even years after you first become infected.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group
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