Genital Contact
Vaginal warts are contagious and most often transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact. Sexual contact is the most common way to transmit vaginal warts. They are usually transmitted through genital-to-genital contact, but have been known to pass through oral or hand-to-genital contact. The condition is caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), which infects the skin and mucous membranes. The virus can infect the linings of and outside the vagina. The same virus can also infect the male genitals. Most people who have the HPV virus don't know it and are unaware they are passing it on to others if they have sex. A person can be infected with it for years without knowing.
Abnormal Cells
There are more than 60 known strains of HPV, with about a dozen responsible for genital warts. HPV causes normal cells on the infected area to turn abnormal, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Most people cannot even feel or see the cell changes. The body has the ability to fight off HPV naturally to bring the infected cells back to normal. About 10 percent of women with high-risk HPV on their cervix develop infections that put them at risk for cervical cancer. The warts can affect pregnancy if they keep the vaginal walls from expanding properly. In rare cases the warts can be passed on to the baby in the throat, causing complications. Physicians recommend cesarean section delivery in those cases.
Appearance
The presence of the warts occurs after a few months following the infection. But there are cases where the warts appear within weeks or don't appear for years. Vaginal warts have different sizes and shapes. They can be flat or raised. Some resemble moles and others have a cauliflower appearance. The warts remain a medical mystery in many ways. They can remain unchanged, increase in number and size or go away without treatment. Doctors have not found an accurate way to determine how a particular HPV infection will react. Vaginal warts are highly contagious because they are caused by a viral infection. Because most women who have HPV infections don't know it, women are advised to get regular Pap tests. The simple test, which takes a cell sample from the cervix, can find changes caused by HPV. Treatment of the warts includes the application fo medication to the infected area. Sometimes the warts need to be surgically removed. Natural treatments include supplements, creams and dietary changes.
