A couple was diagnosed with genital warts at the same time, but their outcomes were very different. Why does HPV prefer women?

A couple came to the outpatient clinic. Both of them had cauliflower-like growths on their genitals. The acetic acid white test was positive, and HPV6 and 11 were positive. Both were diagnosed with "cauliflower disease", also known as genital warts.

The doctor told them that genital warts are a common sexually transmitted disease. Although it is a little troublesome, it can be cured. So the two of them followed the doctor's instructions to remove the warts. The boy never had a recurrence after the removal, but the girl's recurrence was repeated. A whole year passed, and the doctor told the boy that his genital warts were under control, but the girl was not so lucky. Not only did she have frequent recurrences, but the number of warts also increased from one to several, and the frequency of recurrences even increased.

Why is it that the same disease, with the same treatment methods, has different outcomes? Facing the girl's crying, the doctor comforted her and told her the truth.

Are there gender differences in genital warts? Genital warts do have certain gender differences, and men tend to recover faster, which is related to the pathogenic mechanism of the HPV virus and the physiological differences between men and women.

●How does HPV virus cause genital warts?

The viruses that cause genital warts are generally low-risk types 6 and 11. When the skin and mucous membranes come into contact with the virus, the body's immune cells will compete with it. When your immunity is strong, the HPV virus will be eliminated, which means that although you are infected with the virus, you will not develop the disease; when the body's immunity is weak after contact with the virus, the virus replicates in the body. As the viral load increases, warts appear, which is the so-called genital warts. At the beginning, they are often small raised bumps. As the virus replicates, the warts gradually increase in size and change into cauliflower-like changes, so genital warts are also called "cauliflower disease."

Why do genital warts prefer women? Men tend to have better physical fitness

Compared with women, men tend to have better physical fitness, so their immunity is often higher. When men and women are exposed to the virus at the same time, women are often more likely to get sick. Even if warts appear at the same time, men with stronger immunity often have better results after removing the warts.

● Women's menstrual period is prone to recurrence

Many women are prone to colds and illnesses before and after their menstrual periods. This is because hormones change during menstrual periods, and women’s immunity is often low at this time. This is also the reason why many female friends with genital warts relapse during their menstrual periods. Men do not have menstrual periods, and their immunity does not fluctuate significantly. Therefore, if men have better compliance, recurrences are often less.

● Disadvantages of female physiological structure

Due to anatomical and physiological differences, women are more prone to urinary tract inflammation than men, especially during menstruation. The presence of sanitary napkins will make the local air permeability poor, which often makes it easy for bacteria to breed. When local inflammation occurs, it is more conducive to the replication of the virus, which is why women are more prone to recurrence.

What should women do when faced with an unfavorable situation? Although women are more likely to have recurrences of genital warts, it does not necessarily mean that they will have recurrences.

Therefore, we remind all female patients to develop a good attitude, ensure adequate sleep, proper exercise, and healthy diet. During menstruation, change sanitary napkins in time, adjust your mentality, and remove warts in time when they appear. Through efforts in all aspects, you will definitely be able to defeat genital warts!