Cancer Center

Obtaining a test for sexually transmitted disease cannot confirm if you have genital warts. If you believe you have genital warts and you’re wondering how the disease is diagnosed, here are the common ways doctors identify if the symptoms you’re having link to genital warts or not.

1. Acetowhitening – The most common process used in identifying genital warts is by direct visual examination. More often than not, genital warts are not visible to the naked eye, so acetowhitening is used. This technique involves the application of 5% vinegar (acetic acid solution) to the affected area for five to ten minutes. The lesions would turn whitish if they are indeed genital warts.
2. Colposcopy – Also known as magnification of the area, coloscopy is a painless examination wherein a lighted magnifying scope is used in viewing the lesions. This is commonly used in women when the lesions are within the internal reproductive organs, such as the cervix or vaginal canal.
3. Pap smear – In women, doctors recommend annual pap smears because it helps determine if there are potential health problems within the female reproductive organs. With a routine pap smear, evidences of the HPV (the virus causing the genital warts) and abnormal cells on the cervix can be found.
4. Biopsy – In rare cases when lesion appears unusual or the warts recur after proper treatment, a biopsy may be necessary. This process involves obtaining a small tissue sample from the cervix or affected area and examining it under a microscope. Tests results would confirm whether you have genital warts or not.
5. Special Tests – If the results of the other tests still cannot confirm genital warts, the doctor may test for other conditions, such as pearly penile papules, skin cancer, genital herpes, moles, skin tag, seborrheic keratoses, condyloma lata, bowenoid papulosis and molluscum contagiosum.

» Read more: 5 Ways to Diagnose Genital Warts

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