One condition that is not usually thought of as a sexually transmissible disease is the abnormal Pap smear. I have called it a sexually transmissible disease because over the past few years certain strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV or wart virus) have been implicated as a cause of precancerous and cancerous changes of the cervix and, like warts anywhere on the body, these are contagious. The reason the test is so valuable is that it can detect the changes in these cells before they become cancerous. Some women hate the idea of exposing their genitals to this kind of examination, but most seem to see it as a necessary inconvenience. One thing most women don’t expect is an abnormal result, and it can be a major trauma for them sexually. One British study actually looked at the effects of an abnormal Pap smear needing treatment and found that it influences most aspects of a woman’s sexual attitudes and responses, including less intercourse, decreased sexual arousal and fewer orgasms. More importantly they found that these women often became hostile towards their regular partner.
One of the tricky things about genital warts in men is that they can be hard to find. We need to use a technique called the ‘vinegar test’. Vinegar is a chemical called acetic acid and when it is applied to the skin of the genitals, warts will show up white. It may take magnifying equipment to see them properly and you really have to know what you’re looking for, so this is not a test you can do at home (in case you’re tempted to go and soak your penis in vinegar to prove a point). Doctors get all sorts of reactions to this like, ‘Now I know how a cucumber feels in a salad’ or ‘Aren’t you going to throw in some olive oil and a few herbs?’.
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