Genital Wart

Genital Warts
(orcondylomata acuminata,venereal warts,anal
wartsandanogenital warts) are symptoms of a highly
contagioussexually transmitted diseasecaused by some
types ofhuman papillomavirus(HPV). It is spread through
direct skin-to-skin contact, usually duringoral,genital,
oranal sexwith an infected partner.Wartsare the most
easily recognized symptom of genital HPV infection.
Although some types of HPV are known to causecervical
cancerandanal cancers, these are not the same types of
HPV that cause genital warts.

HPV types 6 and 11 are most frequently the cause

of genital warts. TheGardasilvaccineincludes
coverage for these types. While types 6 and 11 are
considered low risk for progression to cancers, it is
also possible to be infected with different varieties of
HPV, such as a low-risk HPV that causes warts and a
high-risk HPV, either at the same or different times.

Signs and Symptoms

Genital warts may occur singly but are more often found
in clusters. They may be found anywhere in the anal or
genital area, and are frequently found on external surfaces
of the body, including the penile shaft, scrotum, labia
majora of the vagina, or around the anus. They can also
occur on internal surfaces like theopening to the urethra,
inside the vagina, on thecervix, or in the anus. In males
they are frequently found on or around thehead of the
penis.
They can be as small as 1-5mm in diameter, but can also

In most cases, there are no symptoms of

HPV infection other than the warts
themselves. Sometimes warts may cause
itching, redness, or discomfort, especially
when they occur around the anus. Although
they are usually without other physical
symptoms, an outbreak of genital warts may
cause psychological distress, such

Causes

Transmission
HPV is most commonly transmitted throughpenetrative sex. While
HPV can also be transmitted via non-penetrative sexual activity, it is
less transmissible than via penetrative sex. There is conflicting
evidence about the effect ofcondomson transmission of low-risk HPV.
Some studies have suggested that they are effective at reducing
transmission.Other studies suggest that condoms are not effective at
preventing transmission of the low-risk HPV variants that cause
genital warts. The effect of condoms on HPV transmission may also be
gender-dependent; there is some evidence that condoms are more
effective at preventing infection of males than of females.
The types of HPV that cause warts are highly transmissible.
Roughly three out of four unaffected partners of patients with warts

In children
Anal or genital warts may betransmitted during birth. The
presence of wart-like lesions on the genitals of young children
has been suggested as an indicator of sexual abuse. However,
genital warts can sometimes result fromautoinoculatedby
warts elsewhere on the body, such as from the hands.It has
also been reported from sharing of swimsuits, underwear, or
bath towels, and from non-sexual touching during routine care
such as diapering. Genital warts in children are less likely to
be caused by HPV subtypes 6 and 11 than adults, and more
likely to be caused by HPV types that cause warts elsewhere

Severe case of external genital warts on a fem

Severe case of genital warts on a male