November 4, 2003
Other Illnesses
Question from Baltimore, Maryland, USA:
My boyfriend (who has diabetes) has warts under the head of his penis, and his primary care physician said that it can be due to his weak bladder and diabetes complications. We wanted to make sure that this is true. If it is, do you know of a way to cure them? Is it still safe to have sexual intercourse?
Answer:
These could be venereal warts which are related to the human papilloma virus. This is significant because female sexual contacts can be infected and certain forms of the virus are associated with cervical cancer. If you have had intercourse with your boyfriend, it is important to make sure you have routine Pap smears and a cervical exam. The warts can be removed with medicine or they can be burned off. They are more likely to occur if you smoke.
JTL
[Editor’s comment: Venereal warts may be more frequent in people with uncontrolled diabetes.
WWQ]
