Sexual Health Buzz

What are genital warts?

Genital warts are flesh-colored growths that are most often caused by certain types of HPV. Genital warts most often appear on the external genitals or near the anus of females and males. Less commonly, genital warts can appear inside the vagina and on the cervix.

Who gets genital warts?

Anyone who has any kind of sexual activity involving genital contact could get genital HPV, and certain types of HPV can develop into genital warts. Because many people who have HPV may not show any signs or symptoms, they can transmit the virus without even knowing it. After sexual contact with an infection person, genital warts may appear within weeks, months, years, or not at all.

Genital warts are very common. It is estimated that in 2003, there were over 260,000 new cases of genital warts in the United States alone.

How do I know if I have genital warts?

A healthcare professional can usually recognize genital warts just by seeing them. Genital warts often do not cause symptoms. In some cases; however, they may cause burning, itching, or pain.

How are genital warts treated?

Genital warts sometimes disappear on their own without treatment. However, there is no way to tell if they will disappear or grow larger.

A healthcare professional may choose to apply a special cream or solution to the warts. Alternatively, some genital warts can be removed by freezing, burning, or using a laser treatment. If these treatments don’t work, they may be removed by surgery.

There is a chance that genital warts can reappear after treatment, since the HPV that caused them may still be present.

* These facts do not cover everything there is to k now about genital warts. Talk to your healthcare professional or visit HPV.com for more information. This information was presented for educational purposes and only for personal use.