Genital warts

There are many different strains of HPV. Some types of HPV cause visible genital warts.

Two women wearing green recycling t-shirts holding a wooden crate filled with recyclable cans and containers.

What do genital warts look like?

Genital warts from HPV are growths or bumps on the skin around the genital area; vulva (the area around the vaginal opening), in or around the vagina or anus, on the cervix, and on the penis, scrotum, groin or thigh. They may be raised or flat warts, single or multiple, small or large. Some HPV warts can cluster together forming a cauliflower-like shape.

The types of HPV linked to cervical cancer or other cancers are not the types associated with genital warts.

How do you get HPV or genital warts?

Subclinical HPV (invisible to the naked eye) and genital warts are usually spread by direct, skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal or oral sex.

Warts on other parts of the body, such as the hands, are caused by different types of HPV. Contact with these warts does not seem to be the cause of genital warts.

Warts may appear within several weeks, or even months, after sexual contact with an infection person, or they may never appear. This makes it hard to know exactly when or from whom you got the virus.

It is thought most subclinical HPV infections are transmitted through sexual intercourse, although they are generally believed to be less contagious than genital warts.

Woman wearing a green volunteer shirt holding a yellow recycling bag filled with plastic waste.

How do you know if you have genital warts?

In some cases, it's difficult to know. Sometimes people do not notice warts because they are inside the vagina, or on the cervix, or in the anus. In addition, they are often flesh-coloured and painless. Only rarely do they cause symptoms such as itching, pain, or bleeding.

Sometimes warts will be found during a physical examination.

You should go to a doctor or clinic if:

you notice any unusual growths, bumps, or skin changes on or near your penis, vagina, vulva, or anus; or
you notice any unusual itching, pain, or bleeding; or
your sex partner(s) tells you that they have genital HPV or genital warts.

How are genital warts diagnosed?

Warts sometimes can be very difficult to see. Also, sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between an HPV wart and other bumps and pimples.

Diagnosis of genital warts is by visual recognition by a health care provider, who may use a magnifying lens to find small warts. Tests (e.g. biopsy) are usually not required.

Sexual health clinics provide a specialist, confidential, free of charge service to everyone.

What about HPV, genital warts and pregnancy?

Genital warts very rarely cause problems during pregnancy and delivery, but because of changes in the body during pregnancy, warts can grow in size and number. Delivery by caesarean section is not required unless warts are blocking the birth canal, which is extremely uncommon. Rarely, babies exposed to HPV during birth may develop warts in the throat.

If you are pregnant and have genital warts, speak to your health care provider, as some methods of treatment cannot be used during pregnancy.

Support our work

Every leaflet, every call, every page on this site is funded by donations.

STIEF is the non-profit behind the HPV helpline, the patient leaflets your GP hands you, and the information on this site. We don't charge for any of it. If this page helped you, or you want to help the next person who lands here, a one-off donation keeps it running.

Donate Now

Donations of $5 or more are tax deductible. STIEF is a registered NZ charity.

Four smiling children wearing gloves and raising thumbs up behind recycling boxes filled with paper and plastic.