Thu Quynh met a boyfriend and had unprotected sex two months ago. Two weeks later, she noticed itching, burning, and small bumps in her genital area. Frightened and unwilling to tell her mother, she self-medicated and used homemade saline solution for washing.

When the bumps spread, accompanied by pain, burning, and foul-smelling discharge, she finally sought medical attention with her mother. A doctor diagnosed her with genital warts, prescribing medication and recommending genital hygiene. The doctor advised Thu Quynh to adhere to the treatment to prevent reinfection and abstain from sex to avoid spreading the virus.

In Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. Ta Thi Lan, 43, brought her 17-year-old daughter, an 11th-grader, for an HPV vaccine. Ms. Lan explained she wanted to prevent the recurrence of genital warts. Her daughter had previously developed several red, bumpy lesions on her labia and genital area, experienced bad breath, and the warts bled when touched. This occurred after nearly three months of a relationship with a boyfriend five years her senior, whom she met through a mutual friend group.

Feelings of shame, self-consciousness, and fear of judgment lead many adolescents to hide their illness and seek treatment from unreliable sources, increasing the risk of complications and disease recurrence when infected with genital warts. Illustration: Vecteezy

Fearing her mother's scolding, the girl sought help from a community support specialist. Upon testing positive for genital warts, she cried, worried about missing school for treatment, and then confessed to her mother. "My child was experiencing love for the first time and made a mistake. I was busy with work and didn't pay enough attention to her," her mother shared, blaming herself. Due to the advanced stage of the disease, doctors prescribed wart removal through cauterization and medication, noting a high risk of scarring and recurrence.

Doctor Nguyen Le Nga, Medical Manager at VNVC Vaccination System, explains that genital warts, also known as venereal warts, are primarily caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6 and 11. While easily transmitted sexually, the virus can also spread through skin-to-skin contact, and less frequently through sharing personal items.

Statistics show an annual increase in the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including genital warts, among adolescents. On 26/2, the National Hospital of Dermatology reported a 10-year upward trend in genital wart cases, with many young patients presenting complex lesions. The Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Dermatology treated 506 patients under 18 for STIs requiring intervention in 2022. This number rose to 679 cases in 2023 and 758 cases in 2024. In the first eight months of 2025 alone, the hospital recorded 533 cases.

The initial symptoms of STIs and genital warts are often unclear or present only as minor skin lesions. This allows infected individuals to unknowingly transmit the disease to partners. Furthermore, many adolescents lack sufficient sexual health knowledge and prevention skills, increasing their risk of infection. Once infected, feelings of embarrassment, fear of parental scolding, or concern about interrupting their education often lead them to conceal the condition and seek improper treatment.

Doctor Nga emphasizes that there is no specific cure for genital warts. Treatment aims to destroy the warts and tumors and enhance immunity to help the body eliminate the HPV virus. Improper treatment can lead to persistent viral presence or progression, causing obstruction of the anus, vagina, or urethra, leading to dysplasia or even cancerous transformation. Therefore, patients must adhere to their doctor's treatment plan, avoid embarrassment, self-treating, hiding the disease, or seeking help from unreliable facilities. Patients should also avoid alcohol, stimulants, sharing personal items, and practice safe sex to prevent further virus transmission.

Female clients receiving Gardasil 9 HPV vaccine, which helps prevent genital warts and cancers caused by the virus, at VNVC Vaccination System. Photo: Dieu Thuan

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 200 different HPV types exist, with about 40 causing diseases in the genital and anal tracts. Approximately 15 high-risk types, including 16, 18, 31, 33, 52, and 58, can lead to cervical, anal, vulvar, vaginal, and oropharyngeal cancers. Individuals already infected with genital warts remain susceptible to other HPV types.

Vaccination is currently the most effective method for preventing HPV infection. Even individuals already infected with HPV should still receive the vaccine to prevent reinfection with existing types and protect against other circulating virus types.

Vietnam offers two types of HPV vaccines: Gardasil, which protects against four virus types, and Gardasil 9, which protects against nine virus types. The Gardasil vaccine is recommended for females aged 9-26. Females aged 9 to under 14 require two doses, administered 6-12 months apart, while those aged 14-26 receive three doses. The Gardasil 9 vaccine is available for males and females aged 9-45. Individuals aged 9 to under 15 receive two doses, 6-12 months apart, and those aged 15-45 receive three doses within six months.

Hoang Minh

*Names of individuals in the article have been changed