Genital warts are caused by some types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are many kinds of HPV. Genital warts can be small, disc-shaped, flat bumps that are the same color as your skin. They can also grow as bumps shaped like cauliflowers. Sometimes microscopic warts can grow that are not visible to the naked eye. The warts may be painful. Warts may show up on a man's penis, between the penis and scrotum or near the anus. Warts may be found on women on the vulva, on the cervix or inside the vagina. Warts can also grow on the mouth. Genital warts can lead to cancer of the cervix or the penis. Tests can be done to determine if you have .
Instructions
1. Check yourself and your partner for signs of as described in the Overview. Go to your doctor for a visual examination of the possibly infected area if you see anything suspicious.
2. Request a Pap smear if you are a woman. A pap smear test can reveal changes caused by genital warts on the cervix.
3. Agree to a biopsy if your doctor thinks it is necessary to confirm a diagnosis of genital warts, or if your warts are pigmented, bleeding or ulcerated.
4. Ask about having apply a 3 to 5 percent acetic acid to the affected area. This can turn an area with HPV white making flat genital warts easier to see and diagnose.
5. Request that your doctor looks for "microscopic warts." Special instruments are used to see warts that are too small to see with the naked eye but can nonetheless be there.
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