The Key Facts

•  Genital HPV (Human Papilloma Virus, more commonly known as
    wart virus) is a common virus that is carried by a large percentage
    of sexually active people

•  Not everyone who is infected with HPV will develop genital
    warts. This depends on their local immunity. Because HPV is such
    a common infection, genital warts are also very common.
    Most HPV infections do not show any symptoms so most people
    do not know when they are infected

•  Getting visible genital warts in a long-term monogamous
    relationship does not mean the other partner has been unfaithful.
    It's possible that one or even both were exposed to the virus
    months or years previously and have carried it in a latent form
    (invisibly) without showing any symptoms

•  Most genital warts will disappear on their own.
    Genital warts can take some time to disappear, may cause
    discomfort and are unpleasant to have in such a vulnerable part of
    your body. There are a variety of treatments available to remove
    the warty lumps, but they do not necessarily get rid of the
    underlying virus infection

•  After successful treatment, new crops of genital warts may recur -
    this usually happens for about one in three people

•  Most HPV infections appear to be efficiently cleared or
    suppressed by the body's immune system. But is is not known if
    HPV is completely cleared or remains without symptoms,
    invisible to the eye

•  After the warts have resolved, some experts believe that your
    ability to transmit HPV decreases after 18-24 months.
    Currently there is no test available to detect whether clearance
    of HPV has occurred

•  Condoms may reduce the risk of transmission and should be used
    with new sexual partners. Introducing condoms into a long-term
    relationship is more debatable because your partner is probably
    already infected

•  Genital warts do not stop you having children

•  Genital warts do not stop you having sex

•  The HPV types that cause external visible warts are rarely
    associated with abnormalities on the cervix that can cause cancer