Treating genital warts during pregnancy

Dear Dr Mitchell,

I am seven months pregnant and I’m using the medicine Podophyllotoxin. Will it have any effect on my baby?

Podophyllotoxin is a drug that is used to treat genital warts and molluscum contagiosum in non-pregnant patients. It is a toxin as the name suggests, and is applied to the vulva area on the warts to burn them off. It should not be used in pregnancy at all. It causes burning, redness, swelling, pain, itching and peeling of the skin. It is definitely harmful to the foetus and is absolutely contraindicated in pregnancy.

If you have genital warts you should consult your gynaecologist to burn them off and also check the vagina and cervix to see if you have warts there. Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) causes cervical, vulval, vaginal and oropharyngeal cancer.

If you have extensive genital warts, then you should be delivered by a caesarean section since vaginal delivery increases the risk of the baby contracting the HPV virus if delivered vaginally, causing cancer of the throat. After delivery you should get a detailed examination of the cervix done, and any residual abnormal changes caused by the HPV virus should be treated. After breastfeeding is completed, you should get the HPV vaccine to prevent genital warts and cervical cancer.

Consult your gynaecologist who will advise you further, but you should definitely discontinue the Podophyllotoxin.

Best regards.

Dr Sharmaine Mitchell is an obstetrician and gynaecologist. Send questions via e-mail to allwoman@jamaicaobserver.com; write to All Woman, 40-42 1/2 Beechwood Ave, Kingston 5; or fax to 968-2025. All responses are published. Dr Mitchell cannot provide personal responses.

DISCLAIMER:

The contents of this article are for informational purposes only, and must not be relied upon as an alternative to medical advice or treatment from your own doctor.