Genital warts are a sexually transmitted infection caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). They typically appear as small bumps on the skin of the penis, vulva, cervix and anus. They may be flat or project out from the surface of the skin, and their color may vary; brownish, white, pale yellow, pinkish-red, or gray. There may be a few individual warts or several, either in a cluster or merged together in a cauliflower shape. Usually they cause few symptoms, but can occasionally be painful. They can be itchy or burn. Typically they appear one to eight months after exposure. Warts are the most easily recognized symptom of genital HPV infection.
Such warts are usually caused by HPV types 6 and 11. They are spread through direct skin-to-skin contact, usually during oral, genital, or anal sex with an infected partner. Diagnosis is generally based on symptoms and can be confirmed by biopsy. The types of HPV that cause cancer are not the same as those that cause warts.
There are vaccines against HPV. Some of these vaccines can prevent genital warts; using a condom also does, as it removes the direct skin-to-skin contact.
As treatment, there are creams that include substances such as podohpyllin, imiquimod, or trichloracetic acid. Cryotherapy or surgery may also be an option. After treatment warts often resolve within six months. Without treatment, in up to a third of cases they resolve on their own.
About 1% of people in the United States have genital warts. Many people,who are infected do not have symptoms. Without vaccination nearly all sexually active people will get some type of HPV at one point in their lives. The disease has been known at least since the time of Hippocrates in 300 BC.