What is involved in a genital warts test typically depends on what type of test is being administered. Doctors have a few different tests they might conduct when there is reason to believe a person has genital warts. During a physical examination, a doctor normally looks for obvious signs of genital warts. When a blood test is done, a doctor usually draws a sample of the patient's blood to look for syphilis or HIV, which are both occasionally present in patients who have outbreaks of genital warts. In women, a genital warts test might additionally involve doing a complete pelvic examination, along with getting a sample of cervical tissue to look for abnormal cells.
The physical examination is almost always the first genital warts test a doctor will perform, and he will usually do this before conducting any other tests. Genital warts are often very noticeable on the groin area. Doctors can swab the entire groin with a solution containing vinegar, which causes the less noticeable genital warts to turn white in color and increase their visibility. A patient's rectal area might also be examined closely for the presence of genital warts.
If the physical examination leads a doctor to believe genital warts are present, she may go on to perform other genital warts tests. A blood test will almost always follow a physical genital warts test. These blood tests are done so that a doctor can determine the presence of HPV (human papillomavirus) and any other sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV or syphilis. HPV is the virus that causes genital warts. To do a genital warts blood test, a small sample of blood is typically taken from the patient's arm and then sent to a laboratory for examination.
A complete pelvic examination is typically done on women who either have, or believe they have, genital warts. This is because genital warts can appear on both the inside and outside of the vagina. Cervical cancer is another reason that a pelvic examination is usually done on women who may have genital warts. In some cases, HPV can cause abnormal cells to form in the cervix. These abnormal cells can ultimately lead to cervical cancer.
Genital warts do occasionally go away on their own without any medical treatment, but the HPV virus is likely still present at all times in people who are prone to genital warts. There is no cure for HPV, and people who have it often experience regular outbreaks. Even if a person with HPV does not have an outbreak of genital warts, she could still pass the virus on to anyone she has sex with. For this reason, practicing safe sex is very important for people who have HPV.
