HPV Treatment for Men

In our day-to-day routine, we are exposed to wide range of microbes, thus making us susceptible to infections. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one such infection that commonly affects sexually active people. HPV in men is the result of keeping a sexual relation with a HPV infected partner. So, when a man has oral sex or sexual intercourse with a woman affected with HPV virus, he is predisposed to this type of infection. Taking appropriate treatment as soon as the symptoms appear is a simple way to shorten the duration of infection.

Symptoms

Books on 'how do you get HPV' clearly mention that warts appearing in the genital area is one of the most common symptoms associated with HPV virus in men. As we all know, warts are cauliflower shaped skin growths that may appear large or small in size depending upon the severity of the infection. In some cases warts are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye. Genital warts in men may be seen on the penis, anus or the scrotum. Besides occurrence of genital warts, the person may experience an itchy feeling in the genital area and is accompanied by discomfort during sexual intercourse. HPV infection in men, in rare cases, leads to anal or penile cancer.

How to Treat HPV Infection

Topical Medication
Aldara is a commonly prescribed cream for the treatment of genital warts in men. Applying the cream everyday can help to clear away the warts. It is basically an anti viral cream that increases the immune response of the skin against warts. This in turn helps to eliminate genital warts. Application of Condylox solution is yet another topical remedy to remove warts. The patient may have to use these medications for 10-12 weeks for warts removal.

Surgery
Studies show that topical creams are not effective against warts that are bigger in size. So surgery, remains the only option to remove warts. It is seen that large warts show resistance to topical medications and so in such cases, any of the following surgical procedures is implemented:

Cryotherapy: Cryotherapy, also referred as cold therapy involves freezing the skin growths. The freezing that is usually done using liquid nitrogen is very helpful to remove warts. Liquid nitrogen is put on the affected area, just for a few seconds, which is enough to lower the temperature of the affected site. The abnormal skin growth cannot withstand this low temperature and hence gets destroyed. As cryotherapy can trigger a cramping sensation, the doctor may give local anesthesia to the affected site before applying liquid nitrogen.

Excision: The doctor may use surgical tools to eliminate warts. In this procedure, the wart is removed by cutting it. This form of surgery can be extremely painful if no anesthesia is used and so the doctor will numb the area by applying appropriate medications, before starting the procedure.

Electrocautery: This procedure involves use of low voltage electric current to destroy the abnormal tissue. The current is sent through an electrified probe that is kept in contact with the affected area. The low voltage current immediately burns off the warts, no matter how large it is.

Laser Therapy: Laser treatment is rarely used for genital warts. A large stubborn wart is usually the candidate for laser therapy. In this method, an intense beam of light is targeted on warts. When the laser comes in contact with the warts, the heat from the beam of light is transferred to the abnormal skin tissue. This transference of heat energy evaporates the warts. The aim of this treatment is to stop the cycle of recurring outbreak of warts, which may not be possible with cryotherapy.

Is Treatment Necessary?

In some cases, even after getting infected with the HPV virus, the person may not show any symptoms. The duration period of absence of symptoms may even last for months, which is an indication of a healthy immune system. Even if genital warts appear they may vanish within a few days, without any treatment. A person having low-level of immunity is likely to have a moderate to severe outbreak of genital warts. In such cases, treatment is necessary to manage warts effectively.

HPV infection can always be avoided if safe sex practices are followed. To be precise, the use of condoms as well as being loyal to your partner (avoid multiple sexual partners) can greatly reduce the chances of contracting HPV virus.