Introduction
Genital warts are small fleshy growths, bumps or skin changes that appear on or around the genital or anal area. Genital warts are the result of a viral skin infection that is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Genital warts are usually painless and do not pose a serious threat to a person s health. However, they can appear unsightly and cause psychological distress.
The human papillomavirus (HPV)
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is not a single virus, but a family of over 100 different strains of viruses. Of these, 40 strains of HPV are known to cause genital warts.
Other strains of HPV can cause cervical cancer. See the Health A-Z topic about Cervical cancer for more information about this condition.
Genital warts can be spread during vaginal or anal sex, and by sharing sex toys. However, you do not need to have penetrative sex to pass the infection on because HPV is spread by skin-to-skin contact. Condoms do not provide complete protection because it is possible for the skin around your genital area (that is not covered by the condom) to become infected.
HPV is most likely to be transmitted to others when warts are present, although it is still possible to pass the virus on before the warts have developed and after they have disappeared.
The incubation period for genital warts (the time that it takes for symptoms to develop after developing an infection) can be as long as one year. Therefore, if you are in a relationship and you get genital warts, it does not necessarily mean that your partner has been having sex with other people.
How common are genital warts?
Genital warts are very common. In England, they are the second most common type of sexually transmitted infection (STI) after chlamydia.
Between 2004 and 2008, just over 79,000 new cases of genital warts were diagnosed by GUM (genitor-urinary medicine) clinics in England. This compares with almost 108,000 diagnoses of chlamydia for the same time period.
Genital warts are most common in sexually active teenagers and young adults. The highest rates of genital warts occur in males who are between 20 to 24 years of age and females who are between 16 and 19 years of age.
Outlook
The outlook for genital warts is good. Several treatments are available, such as creams and cryotherapy (freezing the warts) and they have a good rate of success. However, many treatments can take up to three months before they are fully effective.
HPV vaccinations
There are currently two HPV vaccinations that are available for the virus:
- Cervarix, which provides protection against some strains of HPV that are known to cause cervical cancer, but does not provide protection against the strains that cause genital warts
- Gardasil, which provides protection against cervical cancer (in women) and genital warts (in men and women)
Cervarix was recently introduced as part of the routine vaccination schedule for girls, and is usually given to girls who are 12 or 13 years of age.
Gardasil is not part of the routine vaccination schedule and it is not usually available on the NHS. It is likely that you will have to pay to have the vaccine privately if you want yourself, or your child, to be vaccinated against genital warts using Gardasil.
See Genital warts - prevention for more information about Gardasil.
Trends in genital wart cases
Since the 1970s, the number of people being diagnosed with genital warts in the UK has risen steadily each year.
In 1972 about 12,000 men were diagnosed with genital warts, rising to around 80,000 in 2006.
For women, in 1972 there were about 8,000 diagnoses, rising to around 60,000 in 2006.
