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Stabroek News

Doctor's advice - How did she get these warts?
published: Sunday | July 15, 2007

  • Q Hello, Doc. I am female, aged 21, and would like to know the facts about genital warts. Do you get them from sex? Would it be possible for a virgin to catch them?

    To be truthful, Doc, I am not a virgin. I have had full sex with two boys, and I allowed another one to touch the outside of my 'private' with the tip of his organ. I suspect that he may be the one who gave me the genital warts, but I do not know if that sort of brief contact could be enough to do it. Do you think it was he, Doc?

    I use the Internet a lot, and I have seen where they advertise many 'genital wart remedies' that you can buy.

    Should I go ahead and purchase one of these products?

    A No way! Genital warts should be treated by a doctor or a clinic. The remedies that are used can BURN you, so it is not a good idea to buy them off the Net, and then apply them to your own sex organs. Your vulva (the opening of your vagina) is a delicate area, and you could damage yourself if you apply these products without medical supervision.

    I have had quite a few emails and letters about genital warts, so in a moment I will try to present an 'overview' of the entire subject. However, as far as you are concerned, my answers to your queries are as follows:

  • Yes, you do get genital warts from sexual contact;

  • It would be difficult for a virgin to catch them, except in the way that you mention - from the tip of a boy's penis touching the exterior of her genitals;

  • It is completely impossible to say which of the boys gave you these warts.

    The important thing now is for you to get yourself treated. Please do not have sex till you are cured.

    Now, genital warts are real common these days, especially among young adults. They are caused from a virus, which is easily passed on during sex.

    This virus is called the human papilloma virus, or HPV. There are many different types of HPV, and some of them are known to lead to cancer, notably cancer of the cervix.

    However, that is no cause for a female to be alarmed, provided she has regular pap smear tests throughout her adult life. In men, the risk of HPV causing cancer is low.

    Genital warts are little pinkish or brownish things - looking a bit like the plants you can see waving about under the sea. However, they are real small - normally less than a centimetre in length.

    They do not usually cause pain to the victim, or cause itching or discharge. But they can easily bleed - especially if they break off.

    In guys, they are usually located under the fold of the foreskin, or else in the tiny hole at the end of the penis. They can also occur round the bottom, particularly if the man has gone in for any kind of anal sex play.

    How about women? Well, in females, these warts generally occur in and around the labia (that is, the lips of the vulva). They do not often affect the clitoris. They also grow inside the vagina - and very frequently occur on the cervix. That lies at the top of the vagina, and is the area which is 'tapped' by the end of the man's organ - so making the cervix real vulnerable to the virus. The warts can affect the woman's anus also.

    Apart from the risks of cancer and of bleeding, genital warts cause less harm than you might expect. However, if a woman gets a huge batch of them around her opening, that may cause problems with childbirth. In such cases, it is sometimes necessary to deliver the baby by Caesarean operation.

    It is important to realise that these little warts are usually seething with HPV viruses. So they are infectious. That is why anyone who has warts should stop having sex until he/she is cured.

    So what is the treatment? Well, doctors usually 'paint' on a special liquid, which kills the viruses and makes the warts go away. Sometimes they 'freeze' them off with a very cold probe. And occasionally they have to remove them by surgery.

    Generally speaking, it is best to assume that the treatment will take a good month to complete - so do not plan to have any sexual contact whatever during that time.

    The best ways to avoid genital warts are to avoid 'sleeping around', and to use a condom whenever time you have sex.

  • Q I am a 20-year-old male, and I do not have much experience with girls. In fact, last Saturday was the first time in my life that I ever really had intercourse with a woman.

    Up until now, I have only just about got inside. But on Saturday, I finally managed to get the whole of my organ into the girl. It was a great relief, Doc.

    However, I was real disappointed to find that she was not too satisfied. After it was all over, she told me I 'had not touched her G-spot'.

    How can I do that, Doc? I do not know where to begin. To be honest, the girl is pretty inexperienced too. She has only had one previous guy, I believe.

    A Well, let me start by saying that I hope you had used some kind of reliable contraception. If not, then please do so next time!

    As to the question of the female G-spot, I suspect that this inexperienced girl knows very little more about it than you do. She may well have made that remark because she was embarrassed at the fact that she had not responded very well during sex.

    You see, the truth is that it is real difficult to press on the female G-spot during sexual intercourse. That is because of the fact that it is located a few inches up the front wall of the vagina.

    This is not a location in which the penis can easily press on it. Admittedly, there are a few rather exotic positions in which the flat part of the penis can come into firm contact with the G-spot area of the vagina - but they are difficult to achieve. I shall return to them at a later date.

    However, in ordinary face-to-face sex, the male organ exerts little pressure on the G-spot. In fact, when women talk about 'G-spot stimulation', they generally mean stimulation by the guy's fingertips - since it is very much easier to press the G-spot with the fingers than with the penis.

    My advice to you now is to avoid 'rushing things'. Find out about contraception, and then take your time about learning how to stimulate the female clitoris.

    Generally, that is far more important than the G-spot!

  • Q I am a teenage guy, and whenever time I pass urine the liquid goes downwards, instead of straight out in front of me. The same thing happens when I discharge. Why, doc?

    A This suggests that the little hole in your penis is not where it should be, which is at the end. Instead, it is underneath.

    That is quite a common condition, and it is called 'hypospadias'. You need to take an operation to correct this abnormality. So please ask a doc to send you to a urological surgeon/specialist.

  • Q I am a 37-year-old female. I have a lump in my gum and it has been diagnosed as a 'fibroma'.

    Is this cancer?

    A No, this is a benign (that is, non-cancerous) swelling. But you should see a good dental surgeon who can tell you if it should be removed.

  • Q Can rain get into the top of the head, as my mother claims?

    A No, rain cannot get into the 'mole' and cause a 'mole cold'.

  • Q My father is 57 and suddenly he is finding it real difficult to walk, because his calf muscle begins to hurt after 50 yards. Why?

    A This sounds like a serious condition called 'intermittent claudication' - in which a tube carrying blood to the calf muscles is blocked. He must see a doc this week.

    Please send your questions and comments for our doctor to: editor@gleanerjm.com.

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