Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsGenital WartsRisk FactorsSymptomsTreatmentHPV VaccineFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Genital Warts
Risk Factors
Symptoms
Treatment
HPV Vaccine
Frequently Asked Questions
Thehuman papillomavirus (HPV)is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are different strains of HPV. Some types cause genital warts, while others cause cervical cancer.
You may wonder if HPV is the same asgenital wartsand if genital warts can raise your cancer risk. This article answers some of the most common questions about HPV, cervical cancer, and genital warts. It covers risk factors, symptoms, screening, treatment, and prevention.
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What Causes Genital Warts?
Some types of HPV, but not all, can cause genital warts. These are called the “low-risk” types of HPV because they do not increase cancer risk.
Not everyone living with these types of HPV will develop warts, though. For 90% of people, HPV goes away in a couple of years on its own without causing health problems.
Which HPV Strains Cause Genital Warts?HPV 6 and HPV 11 account for 90% of genital warts.
Which HPV Strains Cause Genital Warts?
HPV 6 and HPV 11 account for 90% of genital warts.
Risk Factors for Genital Warts
Several risk factors can increase your odds of contracting HPV, including:
Genital warts alone don’t raise your risk ofcervical cancer. However, the risk factors that lead to a person contracting genital warts are the same as those that lead to cervical cancer. While the same strain of HPV does not cause warts and cervical cancer, all strains are transmitted (spread) the same way.
How Is HPV Spread?
Symptoms of Genital Warts
Most people with HPV do not have symptoms.Genital wartHPV types can cause small pink- or flesh-colored lesions that look like small cauliflower pieces.
Genital warts most commonly occur on the labia, the opening to the vagina, or the tip of the penis. They may also appear on the shaft of the penis or the testicles. Sometimes warts develop around the anus, even if you haven’t had anal sex.
Despite equal infection rates, genital warts appear less often in males.
You can get warts in your mouth and throat if you have oral sex with someone infected with an HPV type that causes genital warts.
Vulva Anatomy: External Female Genitalia
2:00Click Play to Learn More About Genital Warts and HPV
2:00
Click Play to Learn More About Genital Warts and HPV
HPV Screening and Treatment
What Is a Pap Smear?
If you have a high-risk type of HPV, your healthcare provider will monitor you with regularPap smear tests. These tests are also referred to as a Pap or Pap test.
Abnormal Pap Smear Results: What Do They Mean?
While genital warts don’t necessarily need to be treated, many people choose to have them removed. Ask your healthcare provider what’s best in your particular case. Even after treatment, genital warts frequently recur. Therefore, you may need more than one treatment strategy to eliminate them.
The treatment type will depend on the extent of the warts (size and amount), your personal preferences, pregnancy status, available resources, cost, and healthcare provider experience.
Patient-Applied Treatments
Some genital wart treatments are prescribed and applied at home. These include topical (on the skin) medication such as:
Healthcare Provider Applied Treatments
Medical Treatments
Preventing HPV and Genital Warts
High-risk types of HPV can be prevented with a vaccine. The Gardasil 9 vaccine is the only one available in the United States. It is approved for people ages 9 through 45.
Most health organizations recommend vaccination for people between 11 and 12 years of age. Importantly, the vaccine is only effective if you receive it before infection. It cannot eliminate HPV you have already acquired.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends HPV vaccination at age 11 or 12, though vaccination can be started as early as age 9.Routine HPV vaccination isn’t recommended for people older than age 26. However, ACIP recommends shared clinical decision-making between healthcare providers and adults aged 27 to 45 who are not adequately vaccinated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends HPV vaccination at age 11 or 12, though vaccination can be started as early as age 9.
Routine HPV vaccination isn’t recommended for people older than age 26. However, ACIP recommends shared clinical decision-making between healthcare providers and adults aged 27 to 45 who are not adequately vaccinated.
Cervical Cancer
Summary
HPV is a common STI. Some types cause genital warts, while others do not generally cause symptoms. The strains that cause genital warts are considered low-risk, meaning they do not put you at risk for cervical cancer.
HPV can’t be cured, but thehealth problems it causes can be treated. Genital warts do not necessarily need to be treated and may come back after treatment. Both genital warts and higher-risk types of HPV can be prevented with the Gardasil 9 vaccine.
A Word From Verywell
There is a lot of stigma and stress attached to STIs. It can be shocking to receive a diagnosis of HPV, especially if you don’t have symptoms.
Keep in mind that not all HPV strains cause genital warts, and the same strain that causes genital warts does not cause cervical cancer. Many times, HPV resolves on its own.
If you do have symptoms such as genital warts, talk with your healthcare provider. While it’s not curable, there are highly effective treatments.
Learn MoreWhat Is a Wart?
Learn More9 Things You Should Know About Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
No, HPV often remains asymptomatic (no symptoms) and goes away on its own in a couple of years. However, some strains of HPV can cause genital warts. Other strains of HPV can lead to cervical cancer.Learn MoreDoes a Positive Test for HPV Mean You’ll Get Cervical Cancer?
No, HPV often remains asymptomatic (no symptoms) and goes away on its own in a couple of years. However, some strains of HPV can cause genital warts. Other strains of HPV can lead to cervical cancer.
Learn MoreDoes a Positive Test for HPV Mean You’ll Get Cervical Cancer?
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Genital HPV infection – fact sheet.Flores-Díaz E, Sereday KA, Ferreira S, et al.HPV-11 variability, persistence and progression to genital warts in men: the HIM study.J Gen Virol. 2017;98(9):2339-2342. doi:10.1099/jgv.0.000896Ozaydin-Yavuz G, Bilgili SG, Guducuoglu H, Yavuz IH, Elibuyuk-Aksac S, Karadag AS.Determinants of high-risk human papillomavirus infection in anogenital warts.Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2019;36(1):76-81. doi:10.5114/ada.2019.82915Liu ZC, Liu WD, Liu YH, Ye XH, Chen SD.Multiple sexual partners as a potential independent risk factor for cervical cancer: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2015;16(9):3893-3900. doi:10.7314/apjcp.2015.16.9.3893Sabeena S, Bhat P, Kamath V, Arunkumar G.Possible non‐sexual modes of transmission of Human Papilloma Virus.J Obstet Gynaecol Res.2017;43(3):427-435. doi:10.1111/jog.13248Kashyap N, Krishnan N, Kaur S, Ghai S.Risk factors of cervical cancer: a case-control study.Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs. 2019;6(3):308-314. doi:10.4103/apjon.apjon_73_18American Cancer Society.HPV and HPV testing.Karnes J, Usatine RP.Management of external genital warts.Am Fam Physician.2014;90(5):312-318.UpToDate.Patient education: genital warts in women (beyond the basics).Meites E, Szilagyi PG, Chesson HW, Unger ER, Romero JR, Markowitz LE.Human papillomavirus vaccination for adults: updated recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2019;68(32):698-702. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6832a3
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Genital HPV infection – fact sheet.Flores-Díaz E, Sereday KA, Ferreira S, et al.HPV-11 variability, persistence and progression to genital warts in men: the HIM study.J Gen Virol. 2017;98(9):2339-2342. doi:10.1099/jgv.0.000896Ozaydin-Yavuz G, Bilgili SG, Guducuoglu H, Yavuz IH, Elibuyuk-Aksac S, Karadag AS.Determinants of high-risk human papillomavirus infection in anogenital warts.Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2019;36(1):76-81. doi:10.5114/ada.2019.82915Liu ZC, Liu WD, Liu YH, Ye XH, Chen SD.Multiple sexual partners as a potential independent risk factor for cervical cancer: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2015;16(9):3893-3900. doi:10.7314/apjcp.2015.16.9.3893Sabeena S, Bhat P, Kamath V, Arunkumar G.Possible non‐sexual modes of transmission of Human Papilloma Virus.J Obstet Gynaecol Res.2017;43(3):427-435. doi:10.1111/jog.13248Kashyap N, Krishnan N, Kaur S, Ghai S.Risk factors of cervical cancer: a case-control study.Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs. 2019;6(3):308-314. doi:10.4103/apjon.apjon_73_18American Cancer Society.HPV and HPV testing.Karnes J, Usatine RP.Management of external genital warts.Am Fam Physician.2014;90(5):312-318.UpToDate.Patient education: genital warts in women (beyond the basics).Meites E, Szilagyi PG, Chesson HW, Unger ER, Romero JR, Markowitz LE.Human papillomavirus vaccination for adults: updated recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2019;68(32):698-702. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6832a3
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Genital HPV infection – fact sheet.Flores-Díaz E, Sereday KA, Ferreira S, et al.HPV-11 variability, persistence and progression to genital warts in men: the HIM study.J Gen Virol. 2017;98(9):2339-2342. doi:10.1099/jgv.0.000896Ozaydin-Yavuz G, Bilgili SG, Guducuoglu H, Yavuz IH, Elibuyuk-Aksac S, Karadag AS.Determinants of high-risk human papillomavirus infection in anogenital warts.Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2019;36(1):76-81. doi:10.5114/ada.2019.82915Liu ZC, Liu WD, Liu YH, Ye XH, Chen SD.Multiple sexual partners as a potential independent risk factor for cervical cancer: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2015;16(9):3893-3900. doi:10.7314/apjcp.2015.16.9.3893Sabeena S, Bhat P, Kamath V, Arunkumar G.Possible non‐sexual modes of transmission of Human Papilloma Virus.J Obstet Gynaecol Res.2017;43(3):427-435. doi:10.1111/jog.13248Kashyap N, Krishnan N, Kaur S, Ghai S.Risk factors of cervical cancer: a case-control study.Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs. 2019;6(3):308-314. doi:10.4103/apjon.apjon_73_18American Cancer Society.HPV and HPV testing.Karnes J, Usatine RP.Management of external genital warts.Am Fam Physician.2014;90(5):312-318.UpToDate.Patient education: genital warts in women (beyond the basics).Meites E, Szilagyi PG, Chesson HW, Unger ER, Romero JR, Markowitz LE.Human papillomavirus vaccination for adults: updated recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2019;68(32):698-702. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6832a3
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Genital HPV infection – fact sheet.
Flores-Díaz E, Sereday KA, Ferreira S, et al.HPV-11 variability, persistence and progression to genital warts in men: the HIM study.J Gen Virol. 2017;98(9):2339-2342. doi:10.1099/jgv.0.000896
Ozaydin-Yavuz G, Bilgili SG, Guducuoglu H, Yavuz IH, Elibuyuk-Aksac S, Karadag AS.Determinants of high-risk human papillomavirus infection in anogenital warts.Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2019;36(1):76-81. doi:10.5114/ada.2019.82915
Liu ZC, Liu WD, Liu YH, Ye XH, Chen SD.Multiple sexual partners as a potential independent risk factor for cervical cancer: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2015;16(9):3893-3900. doi:10.7314/apjcp.2015.16.9.3893
Sabeena S, Bhat P, Kamath V, Arunkumar G.Possible non‐sexual modes of transmission of Human Papilloma Virus.J Obstet Gynaecol Res.2017;43(3):427-435. doi:10.1111/jog.13248
Kashyap N, Krishnan N, Kaur S, Ghai S.Risk factors of cervical cancer: a case-control study.Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs. 2019;6(3):308-314. doi:10.4103/apjon.apjon_73_18
American Cancer Society.HPV and HPV testing.
Karnes J, Usatine RP.Management of external genital warts.Am Fam Physician.2014;90(5):312-318.
UpToDate.Patient education: genital warts in women (beyond the basics).
Meites E, Szilagyi PG, Chesson HW, Unger ER, Romero JR, Markowitz LE.Human papillomavirus vaccination for adults: updated recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2019;68(32):698-702. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6832a3
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