Genital warts
DGRefHelp - NHS Dumfries & Galloway
Warning
- Genital warts often become more florid during pregnancy and may cause immense distress.
- Sensitive counselling is needed including encouraging the pregnant women to discuss her fears with her midwife.
- Treatment may not always be warranted but aims to reduce the number of lesions present at delivery and therefore reduce the neonatal exposure to the virus.
- Do not use podophyllotoxin or imiquimod treatment in pregnancy.
- Cryotherapy can be offered but this may not eliminate or even control the outbreak.
- Caesarean section delivery is only indicated if vulval or vaginal warts obstruct the birth canal, as the lesions may avulse and haemorrhage or cause dystocia during an attempted vaginal delivery.
- Caesarean section is not indicated to prevent vertical transmission. The only serious, rare complication is recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in the infant which occurs in about 4/100,000 births.
- Warts often spontaneously resolve in the weeks following delivery.