How do I know if I have genital warts?

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This topic contains information about human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes genital warts and can also lead to cervical cancer. If you're looking for information about the cervical cell changes or cervical cancer, see the topics abnormal Pap Test or cervical cancer.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It is a virus that can be spread by skin-to-skin contact. There are many different types of HPV. Some types can cause genital warts and low-risk materials are mentioned, and some types can cause cervical cancer and high risk. There is no known treatment for HPV, but there is a vaccine against certain forms of the virus can protect.

Genital warts are skin growths in the groin, anal or genital areas. They can be different sizes and shapes. Some flat white spots look like, and others are bumpy, such as small cauliflower clusters. Sometimes you do not see the warts at all.

HPV is a virus. Certain types of the virus causing genital warts and some types of abnormal cervical cell changes and cause cervical cancer.

HPV and genital warts can be spread through sexual contact with someone who has the virus.

Most people who are infected with HPV have no symptoms. But if they do, the symptoms can be so mild that they may not know they are infected. The symptoms may include pain, itching, and bleeding, or you can develop visible genital warts.

If you have symptoms, they will probably 2 to 3 months after infection occur. But can you have symptoms of 3 weeks until many years after infection.

Visible genital warts only during active infection are displayed. But it is possible to spread of the virus even if you can't see the warts.

A doctor can usually tell if you have genital warts by closely watching your genital and anal areas. He or she may ask you about your symptoms and your risk factors. Risk factors are things that you are more likely to be a disease.

Sometimes the doctor takes a sample of tissue from the wart for testing.

For women, you have an abnormal Pap test, your doctor may test that a HPV high-risk types of the virus searches do.

There is no cure for HPV, but symptoms can be treated.

Talk to your doctor about whether you visible genital warts should address. They usually go away with no treatment, but they can also spread. Most people decide to treat them because the symptoms or how to watch because of the warts. But if you don't have symptoms and are not concerned about how the warts look, you can wait and see if the warts disappear.

If you decide to treat genital warts, talk to your doctor about the best treatment for you, there are prescription medications that you or your doctor can put on the warts. Or your doctor may remove it with lasers, surgery, or by freezing them out.

Even if you treat visible warts or your warts disappear without treatment, HPV infection can stay in the cells of your body. It is possible to spread genital warts to your partner, even if you have no signs of them.

The best way to keep from getting genital warts — or any other STD — is not to have sex. If you have sex, practice safe sex.

Use of condoms. Condoms can help reduce the risk of the spread of genital warts, but they do not protect the entire genital area against skin-to-skin contact.Before you have sex with someone, talk to them about STDs. find out whether he or she is at risk for them. Don't forget that a person can be infected without knowing it. If you have symptoms of an STD, don't have sex. Don't have sex with someone who has symptoms or who are exposed to a Std. don't have more than one sex partner at a time. With different sex partners increases your risk for disease.

As you age 26 or are younger, you can use the HPV shot. The vaccines Cervarix (what is a PDF document?) and Gardasil (what is a PDF document?) protect against two types of HPV that cause cervical cancer. Gardasil also protects against two types of HPV cause genital warts.

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