What to do if a pregnant woman gets genital warts

Some pregnant women have weak constitutions during pregnancy, so they are generally easily infected by viruses. Some pregnant women may find that they have genital warts during pregnancy. Genital warts generally grow in moist places on the skin, so they are also called genital warts. If a pregnant woman has genital warts, she must not scratch them with her hands. Here we will teach you what pregnant women should do if they have genital warts?

Genital warts are caused by HPV infection

Genital warts, also known as genital warts, condyloma acuminatum, and venereal warts, are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and are one of the most important sexually transmitted diseases in my country. The most common site of occurrence is the vulva, followed by the cervix and vagina. A few also occur in the armpits, breasts, mouth, throat, etc.

In fact, this disease not only occurs in the genital area, but can also occur in any part of the body surface and cavity, such as the skin, throat, intestines and urethra. When there is minor local damage and resistance is reduced, once the virus comes into contact with this part, such as toes, armpits, etc., HPV will be inoculated in these parts and cauliflower-like things will grow. Because genital warts mostly grow in the genital area, they are also called genital warts.

Why do you get genital warts during pregnancy?

There are two main types of genital warts during pregnancy. One is that before infertility, both the man and the woman or one of them has already suffered from genital warts, but has not been treated promptly and effectively or the treatment is incomplete, and it is still in the subclinical infection or latent stage, but they are eager to get pregnant. Once you become pregnant, warts will recur due to changes in the body's immunity and hormone levels. Another type is that after pregnancy, the pregnant mother is inadvertently infected with human papillomavirus, which causes genital warts to suddenly appear during pregnancy.

Regardless of which type of genital warts it is, due to factors such as reduced cellular immune function during pregnancy, increased estrogen levels in the body, congestion of genital tissue, increased vaginal secretions, local moisture, etc., the warts grow faster than in the non-pregnancy period, the course of the disease is significantly shortened, and the warts cause extensive damage, which can easily lead to giant genital warts. After delivery, the warts will shrink or disappear naturally. In addition, due to changes in the vaginal environment during pregnancy, it is more susceptible to bacterial, fungal and Trichomonas infections.

Does genital warts have any effect on the fetus?

Pregnant mothers with genital warts are at risk of vertical transmission. Most of the time, the disease is transmitted to newborns through the soft birth canal, causing laryngeal papilloma in infancy. Studies have found that in addition to birth canal infection, the virus can also travel through the pregnant woman's blood through the placenta and amniotic fluid to infect the fetus in the uterus. But the risk is very low, with an incidence rate of 1/400-1/1000.

If I am infected with genital warts during pregnancy, can I still give birth naturally?

Because the fetus is usually infected with human papillomavirus when it passes through the birth canal, some pregnant mothers may wonder if they can still give birth naturally? The mode of delivery for pregnancy complicated by genital warts is mainly based on prenatal indications and cannot be decided based on the incidence of laryngeal papilloma in infants and young children. Only when giant warts block the birth canal should cesarean section be considered.

How to treat genital warts during pregnancy?

Due to the influence of hormone levels during pregnancy, genital warts will increase significantly in size and number. Newborns born to mothers infected with HPV may also suffer from laryngeal papilloma. Therefore, once genital warts during pregnancy are discovered, early treatment should be sought. In the beginning, the lesions are relatively small and easier to treat. If allowed to develop, they will be difficult to treat. However, genital warts are prone to recurrence during pregnancy, which troubles many pregnant mothers and they do not want to find a quick cure. In fact, the purpose of treating genital warts during pregnancy is to improve appearance, reduce the chance of infection and the impact on the fetus. It may disappear on its own after delivery, so there is no need to cure it too radically, and you should try to minimize the harm to yourself.

When the wart is small, it can be treated with local medication

Small warts can be treated with topical medications. When the warts are small, pregnant mothers can apply medicine on the affected area to let the warts fall off on their own. Try not to use physical therapy, because genital warts have rich blood supply, and physical therapy is prone to bleeding, and it is also painful and irritating, which can easily cause premature birth. The more commonly used drug is trichloroacetic acid, which is not absorbed by the human body, rarely causes local reactions, and has no adverse effects on the fetus, so pregnant mothers can use it with confidence. The cure rate of trichloroacetic acid is low. It is necessary to apply the medicine repeatedly every week until it is cured. Generally, the lesions will subside after several uses. However, trichloroacetic acid is less effective in treating giant warts. In addition, drugs commonly used to treat genital warts during non-pregnancy, such as podophyllum and 5-fetouracil, should be contraindicated during pregnancy because both can cause fetal malformations.

When the wart is large, physical therapy is the main treatment

For larger warts, physical therapy may be used. Physical therapy mainly uses laser therapy, which is an ideal treatment method. It has better treatment effect in the late pregnancy and low recurrence rate. However, some experts believe that although the recurrence rate of genital warts is low during laser treatment in late pregnancy, it may cause premature birth, premature rupture of membranes and intrauterine infection, and it may also easily cause bleeding. Therefore, it is recommended not to treat it first, and wait until after giving birth to treat it according to the specific situation. Some warts will heal on their own without treatment. In addition, hospitals with cryosurgery technology can also perform cryosurgery.

Criteria for cure of genital warts: Criteria for cure of genital warts are disappearance of warts, normal skin after wound healing, and no new warts appearing at the primary site and surrounding areas after 3 months of follow-up. Otherwise, it is a recurrence.