t - New York Civil Liberties Union
t - New York Civil Liberties Union
t - New York Civil Liberties Union
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250<br />
<strong>Union</strong>-Endicott<br />
Genital Warts (HPV)<br />
Page 1 of3<br />
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Genital Warts (HPV)<br />
What Are They?<br />
-----~G~e-n~lt-al warts are warts that are located near or in the genital areas. In a female, that means on or<br />
near the vulva (the outside genital area), vagina, cervix, or anus. In a male, that means near or on<br />
the penis, scrotum, or anus.<br />
Warts appear as bumps or growths. They can be flat or raised, single or many, small or large. They<br />
tend to be whitish or flesh colored. They are not always easy to see with the naked eye, and many<br />
times a person with genital warts doesn't know that they're there.<br />
Genital warts are caused by a group of viruses called HPV (short for human papillomavirus). There<br />
are more than 100 types of HPV. Some of them cause the kind of warts you see on people's hands<br />
and feet - these common warts usually are caused by types of viruses that are different from those<br />
that cause genital warts.<br />
More than 30 types of HPV cause genital warts. Genital warts can be passed from person to person<br />
through intimate sexual contact (vaginal, oral, or anal sex). In some rare cases, genital warts are<br />
transmitted from a mother to her baby during childbirth.<br />
HPV infections are common in teens and young adults. As many as 1 in 2 people can have them at<br />
some point in their lives. The more sexual partners someone has, the more likely it is that the person<br />
will get an HPV infection.<br />
What Are the Signs and Symptoms?<br />
Most HPV infections have no signs or symptoms. So someone can be infected and pass the disease<br />
on to another person without knowing. However, some people do get visible warts.<br />
People often don't have any symptoms from genital warts - the warts usually do not hurt or itch,<br />
which is one reason why people may not know they have them. Doctors can diagnose warts by<br />
examining the skin closely (sometimes with a magnifying glass) and using a special solution to make<br />
them easier to see. A Pap smear (a test that is performed<br />
tests can help diagnose an HPV infection.<br />
during a gynecologic exam) and other<br />
Experts believe that when a wart is present, the virus may be more contagious.<br />
spread even without any visible warts.<br />
But HPV can still be<br />
How Long Until Vou See the Symptoms?<br />
A person who has been exposed to genital warts may have warts appear any time from several<br />
weeks to several months after exposure. Sometimes warts can take even longer to appear; the virus<br />
can live in the body for a very long time without causing any symptoms. Because many people who<br />
http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=KidsHealth&lic=l&ps=207&cat_id=20173&art... 3/22/2011
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