The two most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases are also generally mistaken to be one and the same thing. Here are a few reasons why people think that genital herpes treatment and genital warts treatment are the same:
There is no cure for both diseases but the physical manifestations can be treated. Both of these diseases have skin manifestations. Although there is a way to get rid of them, these are only temporary solutions. Even drastic treatment like electric needle cauterizing won't prevent the warts from growing back after a few days or weeks. On the other hand, even if sores can heal like wounds, they will crop up soon enough as well.
The reason for this is that the virus that causes them may still be alive in the body and can be transmitted.
They are both transmitted through sexual contact: Pregnant women can pass on their disease to their child. Aside from the complications it can bring to the birthing, both genital herpes and genital warts can be acquired close contact of an infected person.
More often these diseases are transferred through intimate sexual contact but there are other ways of passing it on to others. Pregnant women can transfer the diseases to their babies and it can also complicate the birthing process.
These two diseases have many similarities but they are also very different. Here are some of their differences:
They are caused by two different viruses: Genital warts are caused by a virus called human papilloma while herpes are caused by the herpes simplex virus. Both of these viruses can be easily transmitted through sexual contact. And because they are two different viruses, it is possible to be infected by both viruses at the same time.
When that happens, it just so happens that you are twice as unfortunate. In this case, it is best to get a medical professional to evaluate your case and give you genital warts treatment advice.
They develop differently: They can grow bigger and bigger as long as they are not removed. On the other hand, herpes manifest during "outbreaks", where you develop sores on your skin. Eventually these sores will burst, dry up and go away.
Genital warts, unlike regular warts, grow on sensitive parts. They can grow big and block the passages of your body if you do not have them removed. Therefore, genital warts treatment is done by removing them. Genital herpes result in outbreaks of painful sores.
They need to be treated differently: Genital warts treatment can come in the form of medicinal creams or other more drastic means of removal. These medicinal creams can be prescribed by a doctor. He or she can also prescribe other means of wart removal like surgery, nitrogen freezing and cauterizing using electric needles.
The good thing about both genital warts and genital herpes is that they are both preventable. Don't worry about contracting these diseases.