What causes genital warts?

HPV can pass during vaginal, anal, or oral sexual contact, including contact between areas of skin that are not covered by a condom. A person may transmit HPV without visible warts. Warts can appear weeks, months, or longer after exposure, so their timing usually cannot identify when or from whom the virus was acquired. The wart-causing HPV types are different from the types most strongly linked with cervical and other cancers, although a clinical check is still useful when a growth is new or changing.

Arrange an appointment if you notice small flesh-coloured, pink, or cauliflower-like bumps around the genitals or anus. A clinician can often recognise genital warts by examination and can discuss options such as prescription creams, freezing, or removal. Do not pick, cut, or use ordinary pharmacy wart remover on genital skin. Avoid sexual contact while lesions are being assessed or treated, and discuss HPV vaccination and testing for other sexually transmitted infections when relevant.

Seek prompt medical advice for bleeding, ulceration, marked pain, rapid growth, a dark or hard lesion, or a growth inside the vagina, anus, or urethral opening. Pregnancy, a weakened immune system, or uncertainty that the bump is a wart are also reasons to be assessed rather than self-treating.

Ask whether the appearance fits genital warts, whether another test is needed, which treatment suits the location, and how to reduce transmission to partners. You can also ask about HPV vaccination and whether screening for other infections is appropriate.