Nobody wants to admit to having, or having had, genital warts in their life.  Who does?  It is a known as a sexually-transmitted infection and while it is not a full-blown Sexually Transmitted Disease, per se, it does raise some questions on your personal hygiene and sexual preferences.
To cure genital warts, it is imperative that we know how we get them in the first place.  These unsightly sores are exactly what their name says – warts that are all grouped together caused by the Human Papiloma Virus, better known as HPV.  They are passed on from person to another through sexual contact, not necessarily amounting to full sexual intercourse.  This means even the slightest skin contact – a touch, brush or sometimes just a tap – is enough for the virus to get passed on and set up home in its new environment.

The different sexual contacts where genital warts can get passed on from an infected partner are oral sex, anal sex, genital sex with or without full intercourse.  If any contact has been made with an infected person, the chance of contracting genital warts is more than 60 percent.
There are a few reasons why many do not seek immediate help or treatment for removing genital warts.  The main one, naturally, is the sheer embarrassment of having contracted it in the first place.  When we admit to having genital warts (or having had it previously), we may admit to:

1.    Promiscuity and an indiscriminate sex life.  Whether we like to or not, this indicates to others that we frequently change sex partners or do not practice safe sex.
2.    Not practicing personal hygiene.  Not cleaning up before or after sex, using unclean sex toys and sheets and general nonchalance about hygiene.
3.    Our partner’s promiscuity.  We may have been walking the straight and narrow but that would not necessarily be so for our partners. Admitting to genital warts may signal the end of a relationship we do not want to end as yet as it could mean our partners have acted less angelically as we thought they had been.

While removing genital warts is relatively easy and painless these days and a lot of awareness and sex education has been adequately given to young and old, many doctors are finding that a lot of people do not seek treatment until the virus has somewhat spread.  Unfortunately, it is not easy to recognize a person who has genital warts.
Some people may actually be infected without any immediate obvious signs.  This could be due to:

-    The warts normally showing only within three months of infection.  While this is a relatively short time, those who change sexual partners frequently may not notice or be able to pinpoint the partner who infected them.
-    An internal infection.  Sometimes, the warts are on the inner lips of the vagina, underside of the penis or in crevices of the butt cheeks.  This makes it more difficult to suspect an genital warts infection without a thorough medical check-up.  The subsequent pain and discomfort could be amateurishly attributed to mild skin sores or allergies.
-    Some creams for certain skin conditions may actually give superficial relief.  However, this is a temporary cure as genital warts essentially are growths that have roots deep beneath the skin.  Applying creams to the surface will only lop off the top section, which means it is only a matter of time before a recurrence.  In some cases, it may even cause more skin aggravation, which in turn, causes even more unsightly sores and scarring.

For both mild and severe outbreaks, genital warts medication is available through licensed medical practitioners.  These are always prescribed medication as they are sometimes suppositories (for genital warts in the anus) or injections which require some professional experience in application.  Creams and lotions that are effective in treating genital warts are often acidic in nature and may cause some minor permanent scarring.

For the most acute outbreaks, the last resort may be surgery which is also the most guaranteed form to cure genital warts.  Surgery literally cuts off the genital warts from the roots.  The procedure also allows the doctor to have a thorough look at the surrounding area to root out any new warts that may be springing up soon.