Genital warts

[SuperLiliac]

I'm mid forties and my first genital wart appeared a few months ago.

I'm undecided about what to do about it. It says they often resolve themselves after 6 months to 2 years. It's on my outer skin so I've just been covering it with a plaster.

Anyone had experience of them resolving by themselves in a reasonable timeframe?

@SuperLiliac hi op I'm in the exact same situation mid 40s also and never had a genital wart before, infact ive never even so much as had thrush or a uti. tbh I'm not 100% sure mine is a wart but I can't thing of what else it could be, it just appeared suddenly on the outside of the opening to my vagina and is quite large. was yours definitely a wart op what has happened is it still there? I'm considering a visit to the sexual health clinic to get it checked. I feel so embarrassed.

@BiccysR4dunking yes it's a wart and still there! I had a smear test around the time it popped up and asked the nurse then. I asked about treatment and she recommended leaving it alone as often others will appear.

Nothing else has appeared so far for me.
It was really, really itchy in the beginning but that's gone now. It got a cauliflower looking crust over it. It was wet under my plaster after shower and the head seemed to come away when wet.

Ever since it's been a flatter dry piece of skin.

I did phone my doctor to see if I could get a cream or something and they said they would get refer me to the sexual health clinic. So I'm just living with it for now and hoping it goes away!

I'm.blaming peri menopause;)

I had one once 15 years ago in my 20s. They froze it and it disappeared never to appear again.

Have just had a wax and embarrassed to see one has turned up again!! I’m pregnant and apparently they can appear at this time again, although never had any with my first pregnancy.

I would go to the clinic if I were you. They are easily resolved.

@SuperLiliac thanks for replying. Could this be sexually transmitted? After my very long term relationship ended last year (we had been together since we were teens) I had a few months relationship with a new man at the beginning of this year. He had no visible warts. I had mild itching about 3 months ago but thought was just soap I was using. I only realised I had this wart as I felt it whilst wiping, as you know us women cannot see down there without a mirror. I was also wondering if could be peri related?
I definitely want it gone whatever it is asap, think I will go to the sexual health clinic. I am also long overdue a smear. can't believe this is happening to me.

Can I ask was the freezing painful and did it leave a scar? I'm not 100% mine is a wart but looks like it could be.

@BiccysR4dunking my understanding is that genital warts are sexually transmitted and the virus can remain dormant for many years. I read that changes in immunity levels during peri can provide a good time to appear.

Mine is just above my bikini line and not too noticeable now that the top came off. I'm nervous also about scarring. Was ir OK for you @Inlaw ?

Yes not painful at all or anything I can remember as being significant. It’s very quick. No scar at all. I wouldn’t be able to tell you where it was. It was very small though so I think I caught it early. I think this one has been there for a while as is flat and wide now as opposed small and upright before.

I would much rather a scar than it just sitting there tbh. No one would know it’s a wart scar. Could be a scar from anything. Ingrown hair, cyst etc.

@BiccysR4dunking And yes the hpv virus is what it’s from. It’s incredibly common sti. A large proportion of the country have the virus in one strain or another. It’s really not a big deal promise. My DP has never had one; I thought my body had eradicated it actually. Although now have this one obviously not and I think it’s best he gets checked and treated if necessary also.

I wonder if getting the hpv vaccine will prevent any future outbreaks or is it too late once you already have the virus?. My mother had cervical cancer so this is a concern for me. I know you can pay to have the vaccine at some pharmacies but I'm not sure if I'm too old tbh. A trip to the GUM clinic is definitely on the cards.

I believe the hpv vaccine is only for strains which cause cervical cancer.

I had had the hpv vaccine as a teen. I still got the virus in my early 20s; I found out who from and it was way after the vaccine. Im assuming it’s not one of the bad strains; as I don’t believe the cancer ones are the wart ones.

As I said so much of the population has hpv. Just some have wart strains, other have cancer strains, others have strains which do something else. It’s an odd virus but just part of being human. All these things are colonising and living on and with us all the time. Try not to panic. It’s entirely normal.

@SuperLiliac Well I went to the GUM clinic today and mine definitely is a wart 😫 I have been prescribed Aldara cream and have to return to the clinic in 1 months time. she reasurred me that they are very very common. Doesn't stop me feeling devastated though. hope this cream works asap and hope I never have a reoccurrence. I also took the opportunity to have a full sexual health screening whilst there.

How is it going? Disappeared?

To update on mine. Had it frozen last week. Scab just dropped off this evening 👏

To PP asking about pain. It really wasn’t painful. A sting can build after a few seconds and if you just say ahh. They will stop. Sting goes instantly. Then they spray it again until you say again. I really wouldn’t say it’s bad. You could bare it absolutely. It’s more of a verbal reaction of ahh that you can’t not say; than an actual pain problem.

I honestly thought this would need a few freeze sessions so very impressed.

NC for this but I got them when I was about 17/18 and was horrified and upset
I went to the GUM clinic and the first one I went to weren't very nice, nothing to cover myself with and said "the freezing isn't painful" when I winced a bit

I ended up telling my mum who was not happy but drove me to another clinic who were lovely. I had a lot, inside my vagina and all around my vulva, probably around 40 of them

Never had any come back since then and I'm 41 now

@Inlaw I only had one wart and within less than 2 weeks of using the aldara cream the wart had gone. the cream was very strong and made me slightly sore but did the job very quickly. hopefully I won't have any reoccurrence.

@inlaw omg I think I have a couple of new ones appearing.Ive had a mild itch these past couple of days so had a look and looks like it's possibly a new one just on the inside of my vagina and tiny one on my labia. Just when I thought I'd got it all sorted, are these things going to constantly reoccurre.

No experience with self-resolving ones but had them frozen off when i had them about 15 years ago - not come back since....

Oh really!

How weird!

In would skip the GP and do straight to sexual health clinic. They will freeze them there and then. Fingers crossed that gets them.

Maybe when you have been doing the cream you think it’s gone when it’s not? Apparently can be deeper than thought so they froze me twice to be on the safe side even though I would have been happy with the 1freeze as looked to be gone to me. 🤷‍♀️

Also apparently stop tweezing, shaving waxing etc. As that opens the pores and the virus moves around. But then how are you supposed to be able to see such warts!

Mine is showing no signs of going do I've booked into the GUM clinic this week. Will let you know how I get on.

@SuperLiliac I went back to the GUM clinic for a follow-up appointment a couple of days ago, although my first original wart cleared up within 2 weeks of using the aldara cream I unfortunately have developed a new one close by but on the inside of my vagina. my skin is still very red from the cream so doctor recommends no treatment at all for 1 week to give the skin chance to heal before the new wart can be treated. I'm devastated as thought I'd be all clear after getting rid of the first one. I'm hoping this isn't going to be a long term on going issue now I've hit peri.
luckily all other sexual health screening tests were all clear. I'm so scared of it hurting if they recommend freezing the wart next time especially as its on the inside of my vagina.

@SuperLiliac how is going what treatment did they offer you at the clinic? I'm back at the clinic later this week.

@BiccysR4dunking I went to the GUM clinic and was seen by a doctor who has advised me what I have is not a wart after all. It looks very similar to one when I look them up online.

It's a dry skin thing called something kerratosis. Usually appears on backs of arms. Can be peri related. Can also be a sign of cancer which is why I have to go back in 6 weeks to see if it's changed. Pretty sure it's been the same for months. They said they would have done cryo on the wart and it's the sane treatment for this other thing.

How is it going for you?

I'm still struggling with these and just when I think they are gone more appear. I'm using Aldara cream which does seem to work although causes redness and itching. This is now impacting my mental health as I'm wondering if this is it now forever and il never be clear of them and it's the end of any sex life for me. please tell me your success stories and reassure me one day il be rid of them.

@BiccysR4dunking so sorry this is getting you down. The nurse had said to me cryo is a more robust treatment than creams. Could you try that?

If it's on the outside then freezing will be really easy. It's not painful, just cold. And they may only need to do it a couple of times. They can give you this liquid stuff or cream as well to use at home between the freezing treatments.
It may go away of it's own accord but better just have it removed. If you leave it it could multiply.
I don't know if all GPs do it, but the GUM clinic will and have seen it all before.

unfortunately they are all internal and just inside my vagina, I did not fancy the freezing treatment because they are all internal and was told at the clinic it would be quite uncomfortable. Was also told I'd be less likely to have a reoccurrence using the cream but as more are appearing that doesn't seem to be the case. like I said the cream does seem to shrink them quite quickly but as one goes another appears. It's such a taboo subject which I cannot speak to anyone about in RL, even on here there a very few threads. I'm trying to eat very healthily, plenty of vitamin c etc to try and boost my immune system. I'm also late 40s and peri menopausal which I don't think is helping.