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Of course, fleshy growths in the anal region can very well be anal warts, caused by human papilloma virus or HPV. With more than 100 strains, HPV is not only responsible for anal warts, but can also cause genital warts, common warts on hands and plantar warts on feet. According to an American Social Health Association report more than 20 million people are infected annually with HPV in the US alone.
Anal wart is not a sexually transmitted disease, as it�s not exclusively transmitted sexually. However, it can very well be got from anal intercourse and is most prevalent within the gay community.
Signs of anal warts
Whatever be the reason for this nasty infection, its symptoms don�t become apparent immediately. In fact, results from a study conducted by the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases indicate as many as half of those infected with HPV don�t show outward symptoms and are unaware they are infected!
The symptoms can appear within a month or can take as long as 6 months to become visible from the time of exposure to the initial outbreak. What�s surprising is, in certain cases, it has been known to take even years to appear! The reason is the anal wart causing virus remains inactive in the body after infection. This non-appearance of symptoms constitutes the main problem in effective treatment of anal warts. This is also the main factor in the rapid spread of the virus.
Initially, the warts usually remain invisible or sometimes stay underneath the outermost skin layer and do not break through. When they do appear, they�re usually found on the skin around the anus, that is, the rectal opening, inside the anal canal or in the lower rectum. They can display a variety of shapes and sizes � large or small, singular or in clusters or groups. The appearance of anal warts can also differ from person to person. In some, they may appear as small, cauliflower-like clusters or like flat, white areas that resemble dry, flaky skin. Just have a look at the pictures to get the idea.
Anal warts can cause itching, burning, bleeding or oozing in the infected area (1). Pain is generally not associated with them, but occasionally minor bleeding can result from anal sex or bowel movements. If left untreated, anal warts can lead to bowel obstruction. Of course, these developments in a sensitive area are enough to cause alarm and warrant quick diagnoses.
Characteristics of anal warts
The warts occurring outside the rectum are called peri-anal, and those occurring inside and affecting the lower inch or two of the rectum are called intra-anal.
Being highly contagious, anal warts can be transmitted through direct contact, usually sexual in nature, with an infected person. If statistics are to be believed, two-thirds of people having sexual contact with infected individuals usually develop anal warts within 3 months. The good news is even though common warts appearing on hands and feet are caused by HPV, they can�t cause anal warts. But the real bad news is anal warts can lead to anal cancer, especially among men who have sex with men (2).
Anal warts not only look disgusting, they can prove immensely traumatic both mentally and physically. So, what should you do? First and foremast pay close attention to your body. If anal warts appear, keep them under close observation, but not indefinitely. Get them checked by your personal physician, as early as possible, since a correct diagnosis will help in eradicating this infection permanently from the body. And last but not the least, if you are sexually active, adopt safe sex practices.
