Q&A: Will a c-section prevent my baby from contracting my genital warts?

by Dr. Gerard M. DiLeo

Will a C-section prevent my baby from contracting genital warts from me?

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) causes genital warts (condylomata) as well as pre-cancerous changes in the cervix (cervical dysplasia). Obstetricians used to be taught that a C-section would prevent transmission of the virus to the baby, but the actual chances of this happening are so rare that this approach isn't used anymore.

Theoretically, the baby's pharynx could contract the virus and the baby could develop polyps on his or her vocal cords. But since doing preventative C-sections was abandoned 15 years ago, I've never seen this happen in any patient I've delivered vaginally who had condylomata.

Today, obstetricians will still do a C-sections for condylomata or HPV, in the event that the condylomata are so huge that they would pose a bleeding danger to the patient.

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