Genital Warts: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment & More

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Sexual Health

Genital Warts

Medically reviewed by Fernando Mariz, MD — Written by Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA — Updated on April 20, 2023

Pictures
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Testing
Treatment
Home remedies
Risk factors
Complications
Prevention
Outlook

Genital warts can develop with a low risk HPV infection. Treatment can include topical prescription treatments and medical procedures to remove warts.

Genital warts are soft growths that appear on the genitals. They can cause pain, discomfort, and itching.

They are a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by low risk strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). These strains, HPV 6 and HPV 11, are different from the high risk strains that can lead to cervical dysplasia and cancer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPV is the most common of all STIs. Everyone who is sexually active is vulnerable to complications of HPV, including genital warts.

HPV infection is especially dangerous for people with vulvas because high risk strains can also cause cancer of the cervix and vulva.

Treatment is key in managing this infection.

Pictures of genital warts

What are the symptoms of genital warts?

Genital warts are transmitted through sexual activity, including oral, vaginal, and anal sex. You may not start to develop warts for several weeks or months after infection.

Genital warts aren’t always visible to the human eye. They may be very small and the color of the skin or slightly darker. The top of the growths may resemble a cauliflower and may feel smooth or slightly bumpy to the touch.

They may occur as a cluster of warts, or just one wart.

For people assigned male at birth, genital warts may appear in the following areas:

penis
scrotum
groin
thighs
inside or around the anus

For people assigned female at birth, these warts may appear:

inside of the vagina or anus
outside of the vagina or anus
on the cervix

Genital warts may also appear on the lips, mouth, tongue, or throat of a person who has had oral sexual contact with a person who has HPV.

Even if you can’t see genital warts, they may still cause symptoms, such as:

vaginal discharge
itching
bleeding
burning

If genital warts spread or become enlarged, the condition can be uncomfortable or even painful.

What causes genital warts?

About 90 percent of genital warts are caused by the low risk HPV types 6 and 11, according to the National Cancer Institute.

There are 30 to 40 strains of HPV that specifically affect the genitals, but just a few of these strains cause genital warts.
The HPV virus is highly transmittable through skin-to-skin contact, which is why it’s considered an STI.
In fact, HPV is so common that the CDC says most sexually active people get it at some point.
However, the virus doesn’t always lead to complications such as genital warts. In fact, in most cases, the virus goes away on its own without causing any health problems.
Genital warts are usually caused by strains of HPV that differ from the strains that cause warts on your hands or other parts of the body.

How are genital warts diagnosed?

To diagnose this condition, your doctor will do the following:

Ask questions about your health and sexual history. This includes symptoms you’ve experienced and whether you’ve had sex, including oral sex, without condoms or oral dams.
Perform a physical examination of any areas where you suspect warts may be occurring. Your doctor may be able to diagnose genital warts just by viewing them.

Testing

Your doctor may apply a mild acidic solution, called an acetowhite test, to your skin to help make genital warts more visible. It may cause a slight burning sensation.

If you have a vulva, your doctor may also need to perform a pelvic examination, because genital warts can occur deep inside your body.

How are genital warts treated?

While visible genital warts often go away with time, HPV itself can linger in your skin cells. This means you may have several outbreaks over the course of your life.

So managing symptoms is important because you want to avoid transmitting the virus to others. That said, genital warts can be passed on to others even when there are no visible warts or other symptoms.

You may wish to treat genital warts to relieve painful symptoms or to minimize their appearance. However, you can’t treat genital warts with over-the-counter (OTC) wart removers or treatments.

Medications

Your doctor may prescribe topical wart treatments that might include:

imiquimod (Aldara)
podophyllin and podofilox (Condylox)
trichloroacetic acid, or TCA

Surgery

If visible warts don’t go away with time, you may need minor surgery to remove them. Your doctor can also remove warts through these procedures:

electrocautery, or burning warts with electric currents
cryosurgery, or freezing warts
laser treatments
excision, or cutting off warts
injections of the drug interferon

Home remedies for genital warts

Don’t use OTC treatments meant for hand warts on genital warts.

Hand and genital warts are caused by different strains of HPV. Treatments designed for other areas of the body are often much stronger than treatments used on the genitals.

Using the wrong treatments may do more harm than good.

Some home remedies are touted as helpful in treating genital warts, but there is little evidence to support them. Always check with your doctor before trying a home remedy.

Risk factors for genital warts

Any sexually active person is at risk of getting HPV. However, genital warts are more common for people who:

have multiple sexual partners
have weakened immune systems
are under the age of 30
smoke

What are other possible complications of HPV?

Genital warts are a low risk strain of HPV infection.

High risk strains such as HPV 16 and HPV 18 are implicated in a majority of cervical cancers. They can also lead to precancerous changes to the cells of the cervix, which is called dysplasia.

Other types of HPV may also cause cancer of the vulva. They can also cause:

penile cancer
anal cancer
throat cancer
esophageal cancer

How to prevent genital warts

To help prevent genital warts, HPV vaccines, condoms, and other barrier methods are available:

Gardasil and Gardasil 9 can protect people of all genders from the most common HPV strains that cause genital warts, and can also protect against strains of HPV that are linked to cervical cancer.
People from ages 9 to 45 can receive these vaccines. They’re administered in a series of two or three shots, depending on age. Both types of vaccine should be given before the person becomes sexually active, as they’re most effective before a person is exposed to HPV.
Using a condom or a dental dam every time you have sex can also lower your risk of contracting genital warts. The important thing is to use a physical barrier to prevent transmission.

When to contact a doctor

If you think you have genital warts, talk with your doctor. They can determine if you have warts and what your best treatment options are.

In addition, it’s important to talk with your sexual partner. This may sound difficult, but being open about your condition can help you protect your partner from also getting an HPV infection and genital warts.

Coping and outlook

Genital warts are a complication of a low risk HPV infection that’s common and treatable. They can disappear over time, but treatment is essential in preventing their return and possible complications.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Chen X, et al. (2016). Characteristics of human papillomaviruses infection in men with genital warts in Shanghai.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5288230/
Diseases & related conditions. (2016).https://www.cdc.gov/std/general/default.htm
Gardasil (human papillomavirus quadrivalent - types 6, 11, 16, and 18 vaccine, recombinant injection, suspension). (2020).https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=30952400-0572-4431-9150-3a41affffb9a
Genital HPV infection - fact sheet. (2021).http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm
Genital warts: Overview. (n.d.).https://www.aad.org/diseases/a-z/genital-warts-overview
Genital warts: Who gets and causes. (n.d.).https://www.aad.org/diseases/a-z/genital-warts-causes
HPV and men - fact sheet. (2021).https://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv-and-men.htm
Human papillomavirus (HPV). (2021).https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/index.html
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. (2021).https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/infectious-agents/hpv-vaccine-fact-sheet

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Medically reviewed by Fernando Mariz, MD — Written by Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA — Updated on April 20, 2023

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