The development of genital warts during pregnancy might be a major issue of concern for all pregnant women as they dread that the child would be infected by it too. However, there is very little scope that genital warts are passed on to the newborn baby. If at all, it is still passed on, it can be cured so there is not much to worry about. Genital warts occur on the surface of the skin in the genital areas both in men and women and the human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main culprit for this. The HPV is a virus that is transmitted sexually and thus, you can acquire it if your partner is infected with it. Genital warts generally are small bumps that may be flat or raised and may be single or appear in a bunch like a cauliflower. It may or may not have symptoms showing but you may experience a lot of itchiness and burning which in turn can cause a lot of irritation.
If at all, you are suffering from genital warts during pregnancy, you might notice that your symptoms worsen as there is a greater risk of the warts growing faster and larger due to the number of changes a woman undergoes during pregnancy. In some cases, if the warts are in the vagina, they might hinder a normal pregnancy. This happens because the warts are large and do not allow the vagina to stretch enough. They might even block the birth canal in which case the woman will have to undergo a cesarean section delivery. In majority of the cases, pregnant women who have a low risk of HPV do not get affected with the virus in any way. If you have been infected with HPV for about 2 to 3 years now and have not developed genital warts it is most unlikely that you will go through any kind of complications during your pregnancy. Even if you have had genital warts earlier, you will mostly have a healthy and smooth pregnancy.
If you have a low risk of HPV and are pregnant there are chances that you might not get genital warts at all. It is, therefore, necessary that you conduct pap smear tests constantly that can help detect any abnormal growth in the vagina. However, if you are still apprehensive and not sure, it is best you consult a specialist who will guide you and provide you with the exact information.
Submitted by M T on March 8, 2010 at 11:36