Genital warts are bumps on the vagina, penis, anus, or surrounding area that are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. It spreads between people through direct skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Most people with HPV aren’t aware that they are infected with it. They may only learn that they have it if they develop genital warts.
Most people who become infected with HPV will have no symptoms and will never know that they have it. In 9 out of 10 cases, the virus will go away on its own. However, some strains of the HPV virus can cause genital warts.
Genital warts may appear in several areas, including:
Penis, including under the foreskin in men who are uncircumcised
Scrotum
Groin
Upper thighs
Around the vulva, or the opening of the vagina
On the cervix, or the lower end of the uterus
Inside the vagina
Inside or around the anus
They can also grow inside the urethra, the tube that excretes urine from the body. And people who have oral sex with someone who has genital warts can develop them inside the mouth and on the lips, tongue, or throat.
Genital warts vary in appearance. You might be able to see them clearly, or they may be too small to notice. Most warts are extremely small and soft to the touch when they first develop. However, you may be able to feel them even if they are very small. They may also have these characteristics:
Be skin-colored or darker than a person’s natural skin tone
Appear as a raised bump or a group of bumps (if the genital warts cluster together, it can look like a cauliflower shape; they may form in large clusters in people with immune system problems)
Grow very large and resemble a stalk
Genital warts are usually not painful. However, they may cause other symptoms:
Increased vaginal discharge
Bleeding from the vagina, anus, or urethra, especially during sex
Discomfort, itching, or irritation around the genitals
Genital warts and other HPV symptoms may take years to appear after contracting the virus. This can make identifying the moment you got genital warts difficult. However, the virus can still pass from one person to the next during this symptom-free period.
Not every bump that appears on the penis, vagina, or anus is a genital wart. Other conditions can cause similar symptoms, including:
See a healthcare professional right away if you notice any new growths on your genitals or the surrounding areas.
Some strains of HPV can cause cervical cancer, but the types that cause genital warts don’t. Genital warts don’t carry any serious risk of complications, but they can return after wart treatment.
Genital warts can cause some complications during pregnancy. If an active genital wart outbreak develops while you’re pregnant, your changing hormone levels may increase the risk of bleeding in the warts.
You might also develop more warts or warts that grow much larger than usual. This may mean that you’ll need to deliver via C-section, since large warts or clusters of them can block the birth canal. HPV can also transmit to the newborn, which can lead to a rare condition called respiratory papillomatosis that causes warts to develop in the baby’s airway.
You should check in with a healthcare provider about genital warts if:
You find out that a current or former sexual partner has symptoms or a diagnosis of genital warts.
You notice warts on the genitals or anus or experience ongoing itching, abnormal vaginal bleeding, or discharge.
You suspect that a young child may have genital warts.
Since genital warts may not appear until years after you were exposed to the HPV virus, follow up on these signs even if you haven’t recently had sexual contact.
Genital warts may appear on your vagina, anus, or mouth if you’ve been exposed to the human papillomavirus through skin-to-skin contact. They may be barely visible or grow into large clusters of bumps. Check in with a healthcare provider if you think that you may have been infected.
