By Deborah Bamisaye
The Blame Scene
In their dimly lit Lagos bedroom, Ngozi scratches her arm, glaring at Emeka under the mosquito net.
Ngozi: Emeka, see these rough bumps on my hand – like small cauliflowers, itching me die! Na from that your dirty gym towel wey you give me? HPV warts don land because of you!
Emeka: (jumping up, pulling up his wrapper) Me? Chai, woman! Look my thigh – painful blisters full of water dey burst and crust like pepper burn. Na herpes be this! From those your office owambe parties? You carry HSV come house?
Ngozi: (voice cracking) God no o! Na that your Abuja babe na him do this! Come on, come on! I remember! I read one health magazine wey talk say: ‘e fit be anytin – touch or bed matt
Emeka: (sighing, sitting close) Ehen, no vex. You know we in we go do? For all these symptoms, make we go clinic tomorrow morning – test sharp sharp. Vaccine go kill HPV, antivirals go quiet herpes. We go allow condom from now, no more talk, I beg!
Ngozi: Yes o, together. No blame again – awareness na the key.
Warts and Herpes:
Warts and herpes are distinct sexually transmitted infections often confused due to genital appearances, but warts stem from human papillomavirus (HPV) while herpes arises from herpes simplex virus (HSV-1 or HSV-2). For your health magazine article, emphasize accurate differentiation to reduce stigma and promote testing.
Causes and Transmission
HPV thrives in over 150 strains, with low-risk types causing warts and high-risk linked to cancers; spreads via skin contact, even asymptomatically.
HSV transmits through contact with sores or saliva, remaining lifelong and contagious during outbreaks or dormancy.
Treatment Approaches
Warts respond to topical acids, cryotherapy, or vaccines like Gardasil for prevention. Herpes uses antivirals (e.g., acyclovir) to shorten outbreaks, with no cure but manageable recurrences. Stress early diagnosis via swabs for reader empowerment.
HPV (warts) often presents with no symptoms or painless, flesh-colored genital bumps that develop slowly over weeks to months, unlike HSV (herpes), which causes tingling followed by painful, fluid-filled blisters that burst into sores within 2-12 days of exposure.
Symptom Differences
HPV warts appear as flesh-toned, flat, raised, or cauliflower-like bumps that rarely itch or bleed. In contrast, herpes starts with itching or burning before blisters form, leading to highly painful red sores or ulcers, often with flu-like symptoms such as fever, aches, swollen glands, and headaches affecting oral or genital areas.
Disease Course
Most HPV infections resolve naturally within 1-2 years through the immune system, though warts can persist or return, and high-risk strains may lead to cancers if unchecked. HSV, however, remains lifelong in nerve cells, with a severe initial outbreak followed by milder, intermittent recurrences triggered by stress or low immunity, plus possible asymptomatic shedding at any time. Many people carry either virus without knowing, underscoring the need for testing.
Patient-friendly explanation of causes and transmission risks for both infections
Warts are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus with over 100 strains that infects skin cells, making them grow rapidly into bumpy growths; many people carry HPV without symptoms. Herpes comes from herpes simplex virus (HSV-1 or HSV-2), which invades nerve cells and triggers painful blisters during outbreaks triggered by stress or illness.
HPV (warts) often presents with no symptoms or painless, flesh-colored genital bumps that develop slowly over weeks to months, unlike HSV (herpes), which causes tingling followed by painful, fluid-filled blisters that burst into sores within 2-12 days of exposure.
Transmission Risks: Warts (HPV)
HPV spreads mainly through skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal, or oral sex, even without visible warts or cuts – think of it like sharing a virus silently during close touch. Risks rise with multiple partners, weakened immunity, or touching warts then another body part; it can linger on objects briefly but rarely transmits that way, and pregnant people may pass low-risk types to babies during birth.
Transmission Risks: Herpes (HSV)
HSV passes via direct contact with sores, saliva, or genital fluids, but also asymptomatically when the virus sheds invisibly – picture it hiding in nerves and sneaking out unpredictably. High-risk moments include kissing (HSV-1, often mouth sores) or sex (HSV-2, genital); avoid sharing razors or towels, as it thrives on mucous membranes, with newborns at risk if moms have active genital sores at delivery. Condoms lower but don’t eliminate risk due to skin exposure.
Doctors Saying:
Nigerian doctors and researchers highlight the high prevalence of HPV-q genital warts in the country, often linking them to HIV, multiple partners, and obesity, with studies showing other high-risk HPV strains beyond 16/18 dominating infections. Dr. E.O. Dareng and colleagues note genital warts are common, especially among those with HIV (key risk factor), and advocate HPV vaccination against types 6/11 to monitor and reduce incidence pre- and post-vaccination programs.
Research Shows:
Dr. A.A Okunowo’s research on Nigerian women underscores that HPV 6/11 cause ~90% of anogenital warts, while high-risk types like 16/18 drive cervical cancers, emphasizing education on transmission via skin contact. Another study on sexual/gender minorities by Nigerian researchers reports warts’ commonality in HIV-positive groups, recommending catch-up HPV vaccines to prevent complications.
With these said, addressing the problem outweighs playing the blame game.
For those concerned – do not engage in the blame transaction any longer, rather do all to attend to the health challenge by letting a physician help handle the issue.
It’s therefore time to ‘Throw the Blame Cards into the River of Forgetfulness’ I trust you can’t agree any less, can you?
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