What are genital warts? What causes them? How are they treated? Get the answers to these questions and more in our comprehensive guide on genital warts.

Understanding Genital Warts

Genital warts are small, fleshy growths that develop around the genitals or anus. They are a result of an infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). Genital warts can appear individually or in clusters, and they are usually skin-colored or somewhat darker.

Causes of Genital Warts

Genital warts are caused by certain types of HPV, with types 6 and 11 being the most common culprits. The virus can be transmitted through skin-to-skin genital contact, including during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. It’s important to note that a person can have an HPV infection without developing visible genital warts.

Symptoms of Genital Warts

Genital warts are not usually painful, but they can cause itching, skin discoloration, discomfort, and in some cases, bleeding. However, it’s possible for a person to have an HPV infection without experiencing any visible symptoms.

Diagnosing Genital Warts

How can you tell if you have genital warts? The diagnosis is typically made through a visual examination by a healthcare professional. They will look for the characteristic fleshy growths in the genital or anal area. STI screening cannot detect HPV, but it is still an important part of overall sexual health, especially before engaging with a new partner.

Treating Genital Warts

There are several treatment options for genital warts, including topical medications, cryotherapy (freezing), electrocautery (burning), laser treatment, and surgery. These treatments can help remove the visible warts, but they may not cure the underlying HPV infection. The warts can also sometimes return even after successful treatment.

Preventing Genital Warts

To reduce the risk of developing genital warts, it’s important to use barrier protection, such as condoms, during sexual activity. Getting the HPV vaccine can also help prevent certain types of the virus that can cause genital warts or cancer. Regular STI screening, even in the absence of symptoms, is also crucial for maintaining overall sexual health.

The Importance of Seeking Treatment

While genital warts are not usually life-threatening, they can cause discomfort and may be a source of embarrassment or anxiety. Seeking treatment from a healthcare professional is important, as they can help manage the symptoms and reduce the risk of transmission to partners.

In summary, genital warts are a common STI caused by HPV. While they can be treated, they may recur, and the underlying infection cannot be cured. Practicing safe sex, getting vaccinated, and regular STI screening are all important steps in preventing and managing genital warts.

What are the potential complications of genital warts? Genital warts themselves are usually not dangerous, but in rare cases, certain HPV types can lead to the development of head and neck cancers. While this is uncommon, it’s important for individuals with genital warts to maintain regular checkups with their healthcare provider.

How effective are treatments for genital warts? The effectiveness of treatments can vary, and it’s not uncommon for warts to return even after successful removal. Some treatments, such as topical medications, may require several weeks or months of consistent use to be effective. In cases where warts persist or return, a healthcare provider may try a combination of different treatment methods.

Can genital warts be prevented? Yes, there are steps individuals can take to reduce the risk of developing genital warts. The HPV vaccine is an effective way to prevent infection with the virus strains that cause the majority of genital warts. Additionally, using barrier protection, such as condoms, during sexual activity can help lower the risk of transmission.

How common are genital warts? Genital warts are one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that around 1 in 100 sexually active adults in the U.S. has genital warts at any given time. However, the actual prevalence of HPV infection, which can cause genital warts, is much higher, as many people may have the virus without developing visible warts.

Can genital warts lead to cancer? In most cases, the HPV strains that cause genital warts (types 6 and 11) are not the same as the high-risk strains that can lead to certain types of cancer, such as cervical, anal, or head and neck cancer. However, it’s important to note that individuals with genital warts should still maintain regular cancer screenings, as they may be at a slightly higher risk of developing certain HPV-related cancers.

What is the best way to prevent the spread of genital warts? The most effective way to prevent the spread of genital warts is to avoid sexual contact with someone who has visible warts. Using barrier protection, such as condoms, can also help reduce the risk of transmission, but it does not eliminate it entirely. Additionally, getting the HPV vaccine can protect against the virus strains that commonly cause genital warts.

How long do genital warts typically last? The duration of genital warts can vary greatly. In some cases, the warts may resolve on their own within 18-24 months without any treatment. However, in other cases, the warts may persist or recur even after successful treatment. The likelihood of recurrence can depend on factors such as the individual’s immune system, the type of HPV infection, and the effectiveness of the treatment used.

Can genital warts be transmitted through oral sex? Yes, genital warts can be transmitted through oral sex. The virus that causes genital warts can infect the mouth and throat, leading to the development of warts in those areas. It’s important for individuals to be aware of this risk and to use appropriate barrier protection, such as dental dams, during oral sex to reduce the risk of transmission.

Genital warts: Treatment, causes, and symptoms

Genital warts are fleshy growths that develop around the genitals or anus. They result from an infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Treatment can remove them, but they may recur.

There is no cure for this infection, but there are various ways of removing the warts. Most methods require a person to see a healthcare professional.

This article describes the symptoms, causes, and treatments of genital warts.

Genital warts are small growths that develop around the genitals or anus. They are also known as venereal warts, or condylomata acuminata. The HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection and a common cause of genital warts.

The warts form separately or in clusters. They may be small, at 5 millimeters or less, though they sometimes develop into large masses. The warts are usually skin-colored or somewhat darker.

Here are some pictures of genital warts.

Genital warts develop on the skin and mucous membranes in the genital or anal area.

• In males, this includes the penis, scrotum, and anus.
• In females, this includes the vulva, the internal surface of the vagina, the cervix, and the anus.

Genital warts are not usually painful, but they can cause itching, skin discoloration, or discomfort, and they may bleed.

HPV infection does not always cause symptoms — some people have the infection without developing warts. For this reason, it may be impossible to tell whether a person has HPV.

Most HPV infections are noncancerous. However, in rare cases, HPV coinfections can cause head and neck cancers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that infection with HPV, the virus that causes genital warts, is the most common STI in the U.S.

That said, only a small amount of people who come into contact with HPV develop genital warts, and many people have HPV infection but no symptoms.

The CDC estimate that 1 in 100 sexually active adults in the U.S. has genital warts at any one time.

In around 80% of cases, HPV clears spontaneously within 18-24 months. Treatment can reduce the visible symptoms within weeks or months. However, removing warts from the skin does not necessarily reduce transmission risk.

However, around 10-20% of people with HPV will have the infection for life. During this time, they may not experience any visible symptoms.

Learn about the duration of outbreaks here.

Treatments can remove genital warts, but they may return.

Genital wart outbreaks usually resolve without treatment. However, in some cases, warts grow or multiply without intervention.

People should not apply treatments designed to eliminate warts on the hands or feet to their genitals.

Treatments for genital warts include:

• Topical medication: A person applies a cream or liquid directly to warts for several days each week for several weeks.
• Cryotherapy: A healthcare professional applies liquid nitrogen to the area, causing blisters to form around the warts, which eventually fall off — sometimes after several sessions.
• Electrocautery: After administering a local anesthetic, a healthcare professional uses an electric current to remove the wart.
• Laser treatment: A healthcare professional removes warts with an intensive beam of light.
• Surgery: The person receives a local anesthetic before a surgeon removes warts.

The treatments may cause soreness or irritation for a few days, and over-the-counter pain relief medications can help.

It may take weeks or months for the treatments to work. For some people, the treatments do not work. Others may find that the warts return.

Also, a healthcare professional may use more than one treatment. They may warn against using soaps, creams, or lotions that may irritate the skin.

Do home remedies work for genital warts? Find out here.

Sexually active people can reduce the risk of developing genital warts in several ways Using barrier protection, such as condoms, reduces but does not completely eliminate the risk.

Getting the HPV vaccine can prevent a person from contracting certain types of the virus, including those that can cause genital warts or cancer. Officials have approved this vaccine for use in people up to the age of 45.

It is important for sexually active people to keep in mind that a person can transmit HPV without knowing that they have it — without the presence of genital warts.

STI screening cannot detect HPV, but this is still key to overall sexual health, especially before contact with a new partner.

Genital warts are sexually transmitted. Genital warts, like other warts, are caused by certain types of HPV. There are more than 200 different types of the virus. In the majority of cases, types 6 and 11 of HPV cause genital warts, but this is not always the case.

A person can contract or transmit an HPV infection through skin-to-skin genital contact, such as during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Some people have the infection but experience no symptoms and show no signs.

The following increase the risk of developing genital warts:

• having sexual contact without using barrier protection
• smoking

A doctor can usually recognize genital warts during a physical exam. This may involve looking inside the vagina or anus. Rarely, the doctor may take a biopsy, a small skin sample, of a wart for further testing.

Because warts often take time to develop after contracting the infection, the doctor may ask the person to return for a follow-up check.

Some genital warts are so small that doctors can only detect them with a tool called a colposcope. A colposcopic exam of the cervix and vagina or a Pap smear can help doctors diagnose these warts.

A person should go for a sexual health checkup if they:

• have had sexual contact with a new partner
• suspect that they have genital warts
• believe that they have any other STI

Genital warts usually go away independently, but they can come back, even after treatment.

While there is no cure for the virus that causes these warts, the body may clear the virus over time.

A healthcare professional can attempt to remove them in various ways, or a person can try prescription topical creams at home.

Genital warts – Better Health Channel

About genital warts

Genital warts are one of the most common sexually transmissible infections (STIs). They are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 200 strains of HPV, but only around 40 types of HPV can affect the genitals and not all cause visible warts. Genital warts can appear around the genitals and anus or, sometimes, inside the vagina, rectum or urethra.

Appearance of genital warts

Genital warts appear as painless growths and may be:

• flat or raised
• single or multiple
• clustered together with a cauliflower-like appearance.

Genital warts can be invisible

In many cases, HPV is a ‘subclinical’ infection. This means that you may be carrying HPV on your skin, even though you do not have any visible warts. Subclinical HPV infection is common in people of all genders, but is detected more often in people with a cervix on a cervical screening test.

Risk factors for genital warts

HPV is spread by direct skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal or oral sex. It is rare to transmit HPV to the mouth through oral sex, however. Infection can occur after direct contact with a visible wart or contact with genital skin where the virus is present (even if there are no visible warts).

Warts may appear within a few weeks after sex with a person who has HPV, but sometimes warts take months to appear, or never appear at all. This can make it hard to know when or from whom you got the virus.

Treatment for genital warts

It is important to remember that treatment does not get rid of the virus. It only treats the visible warts. For most people, the body’s immune system will get rid of the virus over time.

Treatment aims to remove visible warts, usually for cosmetic reasons. Always consult your doctor about any treatments. Over-the-counter wart treatments are not suitable for genital warts.

Treatment options include:

• cryotherapy – the warts are frozen off with liquid nitrogen. Several treatments may be required
• podophyllotoxin – this lotion can be applied at home. It is most effective on multiple warts that are easily accessible. Pregnant people should not use podophyllotoxin. You need to be careful to protect the unaffected skin
• imiquimod cream – this is applied once a day, three times a week for up to three months. This treatment is not recommended for use in pregnancy
• laser or diathermy treatment – this is used for larger numbers of warts or when other treatment options have not been effective. Laser or diathermy treatment is administered in hospital under general anaesthetic. Remember, this procedure does not get rid of the virus, it helps to get rid of the visible warts.

Genital warts can reappear after treatment

After treatment for warts:

• The virus may persist on the skin, even though the visible wart has gone. This means that warts may reappear.
• If the wart reappears, it does not necessarily mean that you have caught the infection again.
• In most cases, the wart will eventually disappear for good. This is due to the body’s natural immune system clearing the virus from the body.

HPV and cervical cancer

Certain types of HPV can infect the cervix and cause cell changes that may, over many years, increase your risk of cervical cancer if the body doesn’t clear the virus naturally. The types of HPV that cause visible genital warts do not progress to cervical cancer.

Cervical screening

The National Cervical Screening ProgramExternal Link recommends that all people with a cervix aged between 25 and 74 years who have ever been sexually active should have a cervical screening test every five years, even if they’ve had the HPV vaccine.

The cervical screening test is a screening tool used to detect HPV on the cervix that may lead to cervical cancer.

Most HPV found on the cervix will clear naturally without treatment. However, some high-risk types require closer monitoring and may need treatment to remove them. Your doctor will advise you about this if necessary.

Some people who have had a hysterectomy may still require cervical screening tests, and should discuss this with their health provider.

Genital warts and HPV vaccines

There are two HPV vaccine brands available in Australia to help prevent cervical cancer: Cervarix® and Gardasil®9. Both vaccines work by preventing infection with two types of HPV — types 16 and 18. These two types have been shown to cause 70% of cervical cancers.

Gardasil®9 provides protection against nine types of HPV. In addition to types 16 and 18, it also protects against HPV types 6 and 11, which cause almost all genital warts, and types 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58, which cause an additional 15% of all cervical cancers. Gardasil®9 replaces the Gardasil® vaccine (which protected against the four types of HPV — types 6, 11, 16 and 18).

Immunisation with HPV vaccine consists of a single dose schedule for most people.

Immunocompromised individuals may require three doses of the HPV vaccine to be adequately protected from HPV.

In Victoria, the HPV Gardasil®9 vaccine is available free of charge under the National Immunisation Program for all people aged 12 to 25 years. The ideal age for vaccination is 12 to 13 years, before sexual activity (and therefore exposure to HPV) commences.

The vaccine is mostly commonly given to adolescents in Year 7 of secondary school by their local council immunisation service.

It can also be given by a local doctor (GP), in a community pharmacy or at a council immunisation session. A catch-up program for adolescents who missed HPV Gardasil®9 vaccination at school is available for young people up to 25 years of age.

The vaccine provides best protection if it’s completed before a person becomes sexually active.

The HPV vaccine is not usually recommended for adults aged 26 and older, as they may have been already exposed to HPV.

If you aged are 26 years and over and you wish to be vaccinated for HPV, you should talk to your doctor and seek their advice.

Preventing the spread of genital warts

You can help reduce the risk of spreading genital warts by using condoms during sex. However, because condoms don’t cover all the genital skin that is exposed during sexual contact, you may still acquire HPV through skin-to-skin contact.

Remember that transmission of genital warts can occur when a wart is present, but may also occur even if there are no genital warts present.

Genital warts and sexual relationships

The benefits of condoms are less clear if you are in a regular sexual relationship, especially if you and your partner both already have genital warts. Discuss this issue with your doctor or with a nurse at an STI clinic.

Where to get help

• Your GP (doctor)
• Sexual Health Victoria (SHV)External Link. To book an appointment call SHV Melbourne CBD Clinic: (03) 9660 4700 or call SHV Box Hill Clinic: (03) 9257 0100 or (free call): 1800 013 952. These services are youth friendly.
• Melbourne Sexual Health CentreExternal Link Tel. (03) 9341 6200 or 1800 032 017 or TTY (for the hearing impaired) (03) 9347 8619
• Thorne Harbour HealthExternal Link (formerly Victorian AIDS Council) Tel. (03) 9865 6700 or 1800 134 840
• Ballarat Community Health Sexual Health ClinicExternal Link Tel. (03) 5338 4500
• Bendigo Community Health Sexual Health ClinicExternal Link Tel. (03) 5434 4300 Or (03) 5448 1600
• Gateway Health Clinic 35External Link, Wodonga Tel. (02) 6022 8888 or 1800657 573
• Sunraysia Community Health ServicesExternal Link Tel. (03) 5022 5444
• Barwon Health Sexual Health ClinicExternal Link Tel. (03) 5226 7489
• 1800MyOptionsExternal Link Tel:1800 696784 is a statewide phone service for information about sexual health as well as contraception and pregnancy options

photos of formations under a microscope, sectional structure, color and dimensions

Often, after a glimpse of a small skin growth by an inexperienced person, a simple everyday diagnosis is announced: “spike”.

Ignorance of the true face of a wart is fraught with disastrous self-treatment, if a malignant neoplasm was mistaken for a harmless neoplasm.

How to recognize a benign “tubercle”?

Contents:

• Color
• On the skin of the hands, feet and fingers
• On the genitals
• The structure of the neoplasm
• What is a root?
• What does it look like in section?
• Under the microscope
• Dimensions

Color

The color of this benign formation depends on the age of its occurrence and the area of ​​the body where it was found.

On the face, neck, chest, back, in the armpits and skin folds of the body, where the stratum corneum is moderately developed, neoplasms do not differ from the surrounding tissues or have a pinkish wart color. Age warts acquire a characteristic gray cracked top from dead epidermal cells. Over time, the growths can accumulate the pigment melanin, turning them into yellow or light brown warts.

Be wary of excessive pigmentation of the neoplasm . It requires a visit to a doctor who treats warts and can be a sign of squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, keratoma.

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On the skin of the hands, feet and fingers

These areas are subjected to constant mechanical stress, so the aging of the spine located here occurs much earlier. The once pink skin growth is covered with a dry gray or yellow crust, “black rods” become visible through it.

On the genitals

Genital warts – usually numerous small round pink bumps. They deservedly receive more attention than formations of other localization. The doctor conducts a differential diagnosis of warts and genital warts with genital herpes and other sexually transmitted diseases.

The skin around the wart is usually intact . If you find swelling, redness, or a wound with discharge, contact a specialist. Perhaps the neoplasm is not a harmless spike.

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The structure of the neoplasm

The structure of the wart in the section consists of cells of the dermis, or the skin itself, modified under the action of the papilloma virus, lying under the epidermis. In a short time, they intensively divide, separate from healthy cells and form around themselves a tangle of newly formed vessels.

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What is a root?

Root – is a structure of small cells of the granular layer of the skin, surrounded by a halo of capillaries . There may be several spine roots, as well as relatively large vessels that feed it.

As the cells of the stratum corneum die from mechanical damage and the pressure of growing roots, black rods begin to appear from the depths of the wart.

These “rods” are clogged blood vessels that are compressed by the mass of the wart and die. It is them in the common people that they call the rod.

Let’s see what the wart root looks like: photo.

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What does it look like in section?

If you cut the spine in half, you can see inside it a dense cellular mass that lifts the overlying layers of the epidermis upwards or grows with its papillae into the deeper layers of the skin. Features of wart growth are dictated by its location and type of formation:

• normal and flat;
• filiform and pointed;
• plantar and chicken;
• other viral warts.

Growth of the mass may be exophytic (outwards) or endophytic (into underlying tissues).

The roots of the “endophytic” plantar spinule grow inwards under the pressure of walking, irritating the nerve endings and causing pain. The outward-growing roots of a common, flat wart or condyloma give the neoplasm a villous appearance.

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Under a microscope

Looking at what a wart looks like under a microscope (photo below), you can see that its mass is based on intensively dividing cells of the granular layer of the skin . The cells are wrapped in a rich network of dilated blood vessels, making up with them the roots through which the wart feeds. If the stratum corneum is damaged, capillaries may break , so the warts bleed easily.

Find out what a wart looks like: a photo under a microscope.

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Dimensions

The smallest warts have the size of a millet grain. Such growths include flat juvenile and common warts, condylomas.

After a while, several new ones may appear next to a single tubercle. As they grow, these unwanted formations merge into bizarre plaques, rising above the surface of the skin and increasing in diameter.

Plantar warts and spines tend to merge with each other located on the hands and fingers. They are able to combine into conglomerates with a diameter of a ruble coin.

Carefully inspect the “bump” and make sure that you are facing a benign skin growth. Mark its color, shape, location:

• legs;
• hands;
• language;
• under the hair on the head;
• female and male genitalia;
• other miscellaneous parts of the body.