Gential warts are generally benign skin lesions and develop after an infection with a virus on or near the site of infection. They are usually fleshy, soft, skin-colored to pink. The warts can be flat or come out above the surface of the skin. They can be small or large, they often take small cauliflower-like forms. Sometimes they stand alone and sometimes present in groups. It may take several weeks to more than one year after infection with the virus before the first gential warts occur. There are often first few small warts that grow and expand.

What causes gential warts?

The cause of warts is an infection of the skin or mucous membranes with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).The venereal HPV is usually transmitted through sexual contact. During sexual intercourse, HPV can penetrate the lining of the vagina, anus, the penis or in the mouth. Therefore, gential warts are considered a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or sometimes called venereal disease. The virus is highly contagious and can be transferred in other ways.

How to recognize gential warts?

Gential warts rarely lead to physical complaints. Many patients are therefore not aware of the condition.The warts are sometimes barely visible, especially if they are in the vagina, urethra or anus. In some cases, gential warts include physical complaints. The symptoms depend on the extent of the warts both in number and in size. The warts can sometimes lead to itching and bleeding but usually do not hurt.