Venereal Warts

Venereal warts are soft, moist, or flesh-colored swellings that develop in the genital area. They are quite contagious and are one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. The warts are caused by the human papillomavirus and typically appear within weeks or months after initial infection. While there is no cure, prescription drugs and certain medical procedures can help treat them.

What Are Venereal Warts?

Venereal warts, sometimes called genital warts or condyloma acuminata, are a type of sexually transmitted disease (STD). They are caused by human papillomavirus, or HPV. While there are over 100 different types of HPV, there are only a couple that cause venereal warts (see Venereal Warts Cause).
 
Venereal warts are extremely common and increasing rapidly. They are now even more common than genital herpes, another sexually transmitted disease.
 

What Do They Look Like?

Venereal warts are soft, moist, or flesh-colored and appear in the genital area within weeks or months after infection.
 They spread rapidly over moist areas. They sometimes appear in clusters that resemble cauliflower-like bumps, and can be raised or flat, small or large.
 
They can show up in women on the vulva and cervix, and inside and surrounding the vagina and anus. In men, they can appear on the scrotum or penis. There have also been cases where venereal warts were found on the thigh and groin.
 
(Click Symptoms of Venereal Warts for more information.)
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
 
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