If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day.

OVERVIEW

Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are many kinds of HPV. Not all of them cause genital warts. HPV is associated with cancer of the vulva, anus and penis. However, it’s important to note that HPV infection doesn’t always lead to cancer, and that genital warts are not cancer.

SYMPTOMS

The symptoms of genital warts are the actual warts themselves. In men, genital warts can grow on the penis, near the anus, or between the penis and the scrotum. In women, genital warts may grow on the vulva and perineal area, in the vagina and on the cervix (the opening to the uterus or womb). Genital warts vary in size and may even be so small that you can’t see them.

CAUSES & RISK FACTORS

What causes genital warts?

HPV causes genital warts. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). The most common way to get HPV is by having oral, vaginal, or anal sex with someone who is infected with HPV.

Just because you can’t see warts on your partner doesn’t mean they don’t have HPV. The infection can have a long incubation period. This means that months can pass between the time a person is infected with the virus and the time a person notices genital warts. Sometimes, the warts can take years to develop. In women, the warts may be where you can’t see them–inside the body, on the surface of the cervix.

DIAGNOSIS & TESTS

How are genital warts diagnosed?

If you notice warts in your genital area, contact your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider may be able to diagnose the warts just by examining you. For women, a Pap test can help detect changes on the cervix that are caused by genital warts.

PREVENTION

Can genital warts be prevented or avoided??

The only sure way to prevent genital warts is to not have sex. If you are sexually active, having sex only with a partner who isn’t infected with HPV and who only has sex with you will lower your risk of getting genital warts.

Using a condom may help prevent you from getting HPV, but condoms are not 100% effective. They do not cover all the affected skin, and you may still get HPV, even if you use a condom.

What about the HPV immunization?

Health Canada has authorized three immunizations to prevent infections from the most common types of HPV:  Gardasil, Gardasil 9 (for males and females), and Cervarix (for females only).  All three immunizations help protect against the HPV strains that are most likely to cause cervical cancer. Gardasil and Gardasil 9 also help protect against the HPV strains that are most likely to cause genital warts.

Routine HPV immunization is recommended for the following groups of people:

• Girls and women ages 9-26
• Boys and men ages 9-26

These immunizations may be administered to individuals 27 years of age and older at ongoing risk of exposure to HPV.  Discuss your options with your healthcare provider.

The immunizations are given as shots (injections in the upper arm) and require 3 doses.  These immunizations may also be given according to a two dose schedule among healthy children as part of the school immunization schedule.  The immunization is most effective if children receive it before they start having sex.

TREATMENT

Genital wart treatment

Genital warts must be treated by your healthcare provider. Do not try to treat the warts yourself.

The warts can be removed, but the viral infection itself can’t be cured. The virus goes on living inside your skin. This is why the warts often return after they have been removed. You may need to have them removed more than once.

How are genital warts removed?

One way to remove the warts is to freeze them. This is called cryotherapy. The warts can also be taken off with a laser.

A treatment called the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) can be used to remove the warts. With this method of removal, a sharp instrument shaped like a loop is passed underneath the wart and the wart is cut out of the skin.

Special chemicals can be used to remove the warts. These chemicals dissolve warts in the genital area. They may have to be applied to the area a number of times over a period of several weeks before the treatment is complete.

Chemicals you can buy at the store to remove warts from your hands should not be used for genital warts. They can make your genital skin very sore.

Living with genital warts

If you have genital warts, talk to your healthcare provider.  Genital warts can grow if you do not get them treated. If you are sexually active, you also risk infecting your partner.

Certain kinds of HPV can cause abnormal cells to grow on the cervix. Sometimes, these cells can become cancerous if left untreated. Other kinds of HPV can cause cancer of the vulva, vagina, anus, or penis.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Public Health Agency of Canada

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/human-papillomavirus-hpv.html