Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPicturesHPV TypesLocationDiagnosisPreventionTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Pictures
HPV Types
Location
Diagnosis
Prevention
Treatment
It is important for you to know the symptoms even though most people do not developgenital warts.These pictures of genital warts can help you recognize them. Knowing how they spread and the prevention strategies for genital warts can help to reduce your risk.
2:00Click Play to Learn More About Genital Warts and HPV
2:00
Click Play to Learn More About Genital Warts and HPV
Pictures of Genital Warts
The appearance of genital warts can vary dramatically. Warts can:
The timing of genital warts can vary widely from person to person. HPV infection can occur with or without the appearance of genital warts. Warts can take up to two or three months to develop on the skin.
Please note that the images below are graphic and show male and female genitalia in detail. Discretion is advised.
Penis and Scrotum
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoReproduced with permission from © DermNetdermnetnz.org2024.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See Photo
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNetdermnetnz.org2024.
The picture above displays genital warts on the shaft of the penis. However, genital warts can appear on other parts of the penis, like around the tip of the penis and under the foreskin of anuncircumcised penis. Warts can also appear on the scrotum (as seen below).
Vulva or Vagina
Above is a photo of genital warts on the labia. However, genital warts can also appear on thevulvaandcervix.
Perineum
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoReproduced with permission from © DermNetdermnetnz.org2023.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNetdermnetnz.org2023.
Theperineumis the area between the genitals and the anus. The picture above shows a case of genital warts around the vagina and the perineum.
Thighs
The picture above displays genital warts on the upper inner thigh, but warts may also develop further down the thigh.
Anal Warts
Genital warts can appear around or inside the anus. Anal warts rarely block the anal opening.
Around 150 types of HPV have been identified, and about 40 of them are known to infect the genital area. Most sexually active people will encounter some form of HPV in their lifetime, but not all types carry the same levels of risk.
The location of genital warts does not always match up with areas of sexual contact. Warts usually appear at the site of reported contact. However, they can also be found at sites where people report no history of sexual contact.
Genital warts may appear in any of the following places:
Genital warts can be spread even when no warts are visible.
In most cases, healthcare providers can diagnose genital warts just from visual inspection. However, some lesions can be hard to identify. In those cases, practitioners may do abiopsy(removing a sample of tissue for examination in a lab) to confirm the diagnosis. The biopsy can confirm the presence of HPV and identify the subtype of the virus.
In addition, a special test (called acolposcopy) using a magnified scope to look at the genitals can help healthcare providers to better see lesions inside the vagina and on the cervix.
Genital warts can be mistaken for other types of lesions that commonly appear on the genitals. Some of these include:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in its 2021 guidance for screening and prevention of STIs, states that vaccination is the primary strategy for preventing HPV. Vaccination withGardasil 9is recommended as part of routine care beginning at age 11 or 12.
TheHPV vaccineis approved to be administered as early as 9 years old. It can also be given, in some cases, up to age 45.
Genital warts may go away on their own without treatment, often within one year. But it is also possible that they will grow and spread. They can also stay and remain the same size.
Treatments include:
With treatment, visible warts will usually go away. For some people, genital warts come back even if they follow all the steps for treatment. Even after treatment and without visible warts, you may still be able to pass HPV to sexual partners.
At-Home RemediesOther remedies for treating warts should be avoided in favor of diagnosis and treatment from a healthcare provider. These at-home remedies include:Use of duct tape. Some research does show that it may be effective forcommon wartson the body. It should not be used on genital warts.Apple cider vinegarandtea tree oil. There is a lack of research about their effectiveness in general and specifically on genital warts. They may cause burning and irritation.Over-the-counter (OTC) wart treatments that contain ingredients likesalicylic acidand benzoyl peroxide should not be used for genital warts. These products are not designed for treating warts in the delicate genital areas.
At-Home Remedies
Other remedies for treating warts should be avoided in favor of diagnosis and treatment from a healthcare provider. These at-home remedies include:Use of duct tape. Some research does show that it may be effective forcommon wartson the body. It should not be used on genital warts.Apple cider vinegarandtea tree oil. There is a lack of research about their effectiveness in general and specifically on genital warts. They may cause burning and irritation.Over-the-counter (OTC) wart treatments that contain ingredients likesalicylic acidand benzoyl peroxide should not be used for genital warts. These products are not designed for treating warts in the delicate genital areas.
Other remedies for treating warts should be avoided in favor of diagnosis and treatment from a healthcare provider. These at-home remedies include:
Over-the-counter (OTC) wart treatments that contain ingredients likesalicylic acidand benzoyl peroxide should not be used for genital warts. These products are not designed for treating warts in the delicate genital areas.
Summary
Genital warts are a symptom of infection from certain types of HPV. They typically appear on the genitals but can also be found on the anus and perineum.
13 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.Kore VB, Anjankar A.A Comprehensive Review of Treatment Approaches for Cutaneous and Genital Warts.Cureus. 2023 Oct 25;15(10):e47685. doi:10.7759/cureus.47685Lewis RM, Laprise JF, Gargano JW, Unger ER, Querec TD, Chesson HW,et al.Estimated Prevalence and Incidence of Disease-Associated Human Papillomavirus Types Among 15- to 59-Year-Olds in the United States.Sex Transm Dis. 2021 Apr 1;48(4):273-277. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001356Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About genital HPV infection.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chapter 5: Human papillomavirus (HPV).University of Rochester Medical Center.Warts.Grennan D.Genital warts.JAMA.2019;321(5):520. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.20181Workowski 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.rr7004a1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Human papillomavirus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines: Anogenital warts.Mount Sinai.Genital warts.Quinlan JD.Human Papillomavirus: Screening, Testing, and Prevention.Am Fam Physician. 2021 Aug 1;104(2):152-159. PMID: 34383440Miyoshi N, Tanabe H, Suzuki T, Saeki K, Hara Y.Applications of a Standardized Green Tea Catechin Preparation for Viral Warts and Human Papilloma Virus-Related and Unrelated Cancers.Molecules. 2020 Jun 2;25(11):2588. doi:10.3390/molecules25112588Goldman RD.Duct tape for warts in children: Should nature take its course?Can Fam Physician. 2019;65(5):337-338.
13 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.Kore VB, Anjankar A.A Comprehensive Review of Treatment Approaches for Cutaneous and Genital Warts.Cureus. 2023 Oct 25;15(10):e47685. doi:10.7759/cureus.47685Lewis RM, Laprise JF, Gargano JW, Unger ER, Querec TD, Chesson HW,et al.Estimated Prevalence and Incidence of Disease-Associated Human Papillomavirus Types Among 15- to 59-Year-Olds in the United States.Sex Transm Dis. 2021 Apr 1;48(4):273-277. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001356Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About genital HPV infection.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chapter 5: Human papillomavirus (HPV).University of Rochester Medical Center.Warts.Grennan D.Genital warts.JAMA.2019;321(5):520. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.20181Workowski 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.rr7004a1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Human papillomavirus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines: Anogenital warts.Mount Sinai.Genital warts.Quinlan JD.Human Papillomavirus: Screening, Testing, and Prevention.Am Fam Physician. 2021 Aug 1;104(2):152-159. PMID: 34383440Miyoshi N, Tanabe H, Suzuki T, Saeki K, Hara Y.Applications of a Standardized Green Tea Catechin Preparation for Viral Warts and Human Papilloma Virus-Related and Unrelated Cancers.Molecules. 2020 Jun 2;25(11):2588. doi:10.3390/molecules25112588Goldman RD.Duct tape for warts in children: Should nature take its course?Can Fam Physician. 2019;65(5):337-338.
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.
Kore VB, Anjankar A.A Comprehensive Review of Treatment Approaches for Cutaneous and Genital Warts.Cureus. 2023 Oct 25;15(10):e47685. doi:10.7759/cureus.47685Lewis RM, Laprise JF, Gargano JW, Unger ER, Querec TD, Chesson HW,et al.Estimated Prevalence and Incidence of Disease-Associated Human Papillomavirus Types Among 15- to 59-Year-Olds in the United States.Sex Transm Dis. 2021 Apr 1;48(4):273-277. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001356Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About genital HPV infection.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chapter 5: Human papillomavirus (HPV).University of Rochester Medical Center.Warts.Grennan D.Genital warts.JAMA.2019;321(5):520. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.20181Workowski 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.rr7004a1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Human papillomavirus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines: Anogenital warts.Mount Sinai.Genital warts.Quinlan JD.Human Papillomavirus: Screening, Testing, and Prevention.Am Fam Physician. 2021 Aug 1;104(2):152-159. PMID: 34383440Miyoshi N, Tanabe H, Suzuki T, Saeki K, Hara Y.Applications of a Standardized Green Tea Catechin Preparation for Viral Warts and Human Papilloma Virus-Related and Unrelated Cancers.Molecules. 2020 Jun 2;25(11):2588. doi:10.3390/molecules25112588Goldman RD.Duct tape for warts in children: Should nature take its course?Can Fam Physician. 2019;65(5):337-338.
Kore VB, Anjankar A.A Comprehensive Review of Treatment Approaches for Cutaneous and Genital Warts.Cureus. 2023 Oct 25;15(10):e47685. doi:10.7759/cureus.47685
Lewis RM, Laprise JF, Gargano JW, Unger ER, Querec TD, Chesson HW,et al.Estimated Prevalence and Incidence of Disease-Associated Human Papillomavirus Types Among 15- to 59-Year-Olds in the United States.Sex Transm Dis. 2021 Apr 1;48(4):273-277. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001356
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About genital HPV infection.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chapter 5: Human papillomavirus (HPV).
University of Rochester Medical Center.Warts.
Grennan D.Genital warts.JAMA.2019;321(5):520. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.20181
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
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Human papillomavirus.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines: Anogenital warts.
Mount Sinai.Genital warts.
Quinlan JD.Human Papillomavirus: Screening, Testing, and Prevention.Am Fam Physician. 2021 Aug 1;104(2):152-159. PMID: 34383440
Miyoshi N, Tanabe H, Suzuki T, Saeki K, Hara Y.Applications of a Standardized Green Tea Catechin Preparation for Viral Warts and Human Papilloma Virus-Related and Unrelated Cancers.Molecules. 2020 Jun 2;25(11):2588. doi:10.3390/molecules25112588
Goldman RD.Duct tape for warts in children: Should nature take its course?Can Fam Physician. 2019;65(5):337-338.
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