Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Many people will not know that they have anal warts, as there may not be any symptoms. However, it is important to have anal warts diagnosed and either treated or monitored for increasing number and/or size.
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Anal Wart Symptoms
In many cases, anal warts will not cause any symptoms.If they are small and not causing any symptoms, anal warts may not be noticed until going for a routine doctor’s visit for another reason.
When there are symptoms of anal warts, these can include:
If an anal wart causes bleeding, it might be mistaken for ahemorrhoid. However, anal warts and hemorrhoids are treated differently, as they have different causes.
Symptoms of anal warts may not develop for years after being infected, making it hard to know when you might have been exposed to the virus.
The human papillomavirus is a common virus that is spread from person to person, usually through sexual activity (even skin-to-skin genital contact).
According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 100 strains of HPV and 14 are known to be associated with cancer (these strains are called high-risk type).Most adults are infected with one or more strains of HPV at some point during their lives.
Gardasil 9 is thevaccinethat protects against nine strains of HPV. The vaccine cannot treat current HPV infections.
It’s currently recommended that adolescents receive the HPV vaccine prior to engaging in sexual activity because this offers the best chance of avoiding infection.Anyone who is sexually active can get HPV, and it’s also possible to get infected even with a history of just one sexual partner.
CDC RecommendationsThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends HPV vaccination in the following groups:Girls and boys age 11 or 12 as part of theirchildhood vaccination scheduleChildren and adults ages 9 through 26 years who have not been previously vaccinatedCertain adults ages 27 to 45 years who are not already vaccinated and have talked with a healthcare provider about the benefits and limitations of the vaccine based on their health history
CDC Recommendations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends HPV vaccination in the following groups:Girls and boys age 11 or 12 as part of theirchildhood vaccination scheduleChildren and adults ages 9 through 26 years who have not been previously vaccinatedCertain adults ages 27 to 45 years who are not already vaccinated and have talked with a healthcare provider about the benefits and limitations of the vaccine based on their health history
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends HPV vaccination in the following groups:
Aprimary care provider,gynecologist,gastroenterologist, orcolon and rectal surgeonare all physicians that may diagnose anal warts. A diagnosis of anal warts is usually done through a visual inspection.
This means that a physician will look at the anal area to identify the lesions (bumps or growths). In most cases, looking at the growths will be enough to determine that they are anal warts. In that case, treatment to remove them might start right away, especially if the warts are not very numerous or large and don’t require removal through surgery.
However, if there is a question about the warts, such as if they look different than a typical anal wart in some way, it may be necessary to take a biopsy.
A biopsy is a small piece of tissue that is taken from the wart in order to look at it under a microscope or test it in other ways. People who areimmunocompromisedbecause of an underlying medical condition or because of medications that suppress the immune system may also require a biopsy.
It might also be part of the exam to look inside the anus and/or the vagina to determine if there are any internal warts.
For those that are in the anus, they might be found through the use of a tool called an anoscope. An anoscope is inserted into the anus to look inside and find any abnormalities, such as anal warts.
For women, part of the diagnosis process might include apelvic exam.
However, you should know that anal warts tend to spread, becoming more numerous and growing larger.
Topical Treatments
For smaller warts that are located on the surface of the skin around the anal area, and not actually in the anus, there are topical treatments that may help avoid the need for removal with surgery.
Topical treatments that are used to remove anal warts include:
Over-the-counter wart removers are not suitable for use on anal warts.
Surgery
Warts that are large or are located internally (inside theanal canal) might require surgical removal.
Warts might take one or more treatment sessions for removal, especially if they are numerous or large.
The surgeon will make a recommendation to use surgery alone or a combination of surgery and topical agents based on how many warts there are and where they are located.
People who have anal warts may choose to have them removed for cosmetic purposes or because it can be upsetting to know that they are there. These are valid reasons that should be discussed with a healthcare provider.
Watchful Waiting
Choosing not to treat is a choice that should be discussed alongside other treatment options.
In an estimated 40% to 60% of cases, anal warts may go away on their own in about a year.Given this, some people may opt for watchful waiting, which means regular monitoring to see if the warts change over time.
Others may consider watchful waiting because of the cost involved with medications and/or surgery, as well as the associated discomfort.
After-Treatment Care
Removal methods with topical treatments may not require any time off from work or school. Surgical treatment, however, depending on how extensive it is, might mean a recovery period of a few days to a few weeks.
A physician may recommend some over-the-counter pain medications that can help relieve discomfort. Other, stronger pain medications may be prescribed for more invasive removals, as discomfort may last for a few days.
For irritated skin, reducing the potential for further discomfort may include avoiding activities that involve pressure on the anal area, such as biking or sitting for long periods of time.
In some cases, using asitz bath—where the anal area is immersed in a bath of warm water—may be recommended.
It’s important to note that while anal warts can be treated, in most cases successfully, removal is not the same as a cure.
In some cases, anal warts may recur after treatment. This could be because the underlying cause, which is the HPV virus, has not cleared. Recurrent warts may be treated again.
For this reason, it’s important to keep follow-up appointments with a physician to assess how the area is healing and to check for any new warts.
A discussion of how HPV may be transmitted to future sexual partners may be part of follow-up care. Besides being vaccinated against HPV, using barrier methods, such aslatex condomsordental dams,during sex is also recommended to help prevent the spread of the virus.
A Word From Verywell
Finding out that one has anal warts can be distressing. While the cause of warts is HPV, it’s important to remember that these viruses are extremely common. They are most frequently passed from person to person via sexual contact, but most adults have one or more strains at some point during their lives.
7 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.American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.Anal warts.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Genital HPV infection fact sheet.World Health Organization.Human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer.Centers for Disease Control and Infection.Anogenital warts.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Reasons to get vaccinated.Workowski KA, Bachmann LH, Chan PA, et al.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021.MMWR Recomm Rep. 2021;70(4):1-187. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr7004a1Lopaschuk CC.New approach to managing genital warts.Can Fam Physician; 59:731–736.Additional ReadingMistrangelo M, Dal Conte I, Volpatto S, et al.Current treatments for anal condylomata acuminata.Minerva Chir. 2018;73:100-106. doi:10.23736/S0026-4733.17.07554-X
7 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.American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.Anal warts.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Genital HPV infection fact sheet.World Health Organization.Human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer.Centers for Disease Control and Infection.Anogenital warts.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Reasons to get vaccinated.Workowski KA, Bachmann LH, Chan PA, et al.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021.MMWR Recomm Rep. 2021;70(4):1-187. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr7004a1Lopaschuk CC.New approach to managing genital warts.Can Fam Physician; 59:731–736.Additional ReadingMistrangelo M, Dal Conte I, Volpatto S, et al.Current treatments for anal condylomata acuminata.Minerva Chir. 2018;73:100-106. doi:10.23736/S0026-4733.17.07554-X
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.
American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.Anal warts.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Genital HPV infection fact sheet.World Health Organization.Human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer.Centers for Disease Control and Infection.Anogenital warts.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Reasons to get vaccinated.Workowski KA, Bachmann LH, Chan PA, et al.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021.MMWR Recomm Rep. 2021;70(4):1-187. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr7004a1Lopaschuk CC.New approach to managing genital warts.Can Fam Physician; 59:731–736.
American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.Anal warts.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Genital HPV infection fact sheet.
World Health Organization.Human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer.
Centers for Disease Control and Infection.Anogenital warts.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Reasons to get vaccinated.
Workowski KA, Bachmann LH, Chan PA, et al.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021.MMWR Recomm Rep. 2021;70(4):1-187. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr7004a1
Lopaschuk CC.New approach to managing genital warts.Can Fam Physician; 59:731–736.
Mistrangelo M, Dal Conte I, Volpatto S, et al.Current treatments for anal condylomata acuminata.Minerva Chir. 2018;73:100-106. doi:10.23736/S0026-4733.17.07554-X
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