Genital Warts or Herpes

Both herpes and genital warts are STIs that cause sores on the genitals, buttocks, and surrounding area. Since they show similar symptoms, many people get stuck determining whether they have genital warts or herpes when they get an infection.

Genital warts: When you have genital warts, you get one or several sores on the vagina, penis, or buttocks. They spread through vaginal, anal, and sometimes oral sex. 

In females, genital warts cause bumps in the vagina, on the cervix, groin, or vulva, and around the anus. If you are a male, you might find warts on the penis, groin, thigh, scrotum, and anus. Regardless of gender, genital warts cause great discomfort, burning during urination, and itchiness in the affected areas.

Genital warts can occur due to unprotected sex with an infected person (vaginal, oral, and anal), skin-to-skin contact with the infected person, even if it does not involve intercourse. Sadly, an unborn child can inherit the infection from the mother during childbirth.

Herpes: Herpes is a viral infection that does not always cause symptoms. But when it does, several ulcers and blisters appear on the mouth, genitals, and anus.

Because herpes initially causes mild symptoms only, many people take them lightly and cause the infection to worsen. When you have herpes, you can get symptoms like painful sores on the body, vaginal or penile discharge, fever, body ache, headache, itching, and painful urination.

You can get herpes from a person infected by it through close contact, having unprotected sex, sharing sex toys, and manual stimulation like handjobs and fingering. As mentioned, herpes isn’t always symptomatic, and during these times, a mother can pass on the herpes virus to her unborn child during birth.

It can be quite confusing while determining whether the sores you have on your body are genital warts or herpes. Some people might be able to notice the differences and tell which is which by studying the symptoms. However, it isn’t safe to rely on a little knowledge and take self-prescribed medications. 

Whether you have genital warts or herpes, it is important to see a doctor get the best treatment. Genital warts may not be curable and leaving them untreated causes even serious issues like cervical cancer. On the other hand, herpes does not have a cure. But the duration and intensity of the herpes outbreaks can be controlled through medication and treatment.

We advise you to visit your doctor to know whether you have genital warts or herpes, as both need treatment. Ignoring symptoms of genital warts or herpes can cause long-term health complications. You can also go for a quick and easy STD test if you are unsure if you have genital warts or herpes.