Penis Warts

Genital warts in men

Genital warts (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted diseases in USA and Europe. Genital Warts is extremely contagious and many people spreading it don’t even know they have been infected with the virus. In fact 5-10% of people are carrying the genital wart virus (HPV) and 50% of those will develop genital warts caused by the HPV.

There is a lot of information for woman regarding genital warts due to its links with cervical cancer. But people should also be aware it is also very serious to man. In rare cases Genital warts in men have been linked to penile and anal cancers. Penile cancer is extremely rare. It affects one in 100,000 men, but that doesn’t mean that you should ignore your genital warts. Anal cancer is also very rare, but it is even rarer in people who do not have genital warts. In the USA around 2000 cases of anal cancer are diagnosed each year.

Some men are more likely to develop genital warts than others. Men with a weak immune system are more at risk to develop genital warts and other illnesses associated with HPV including cancer. Also Gay and bisexual men are 17 times more likely to develop genital warts than straight men.

What do genital warts look like?

Genital warts have an irregular shape and can vary in shape and size from small red/white spots to large cauliflower-shaped lumps.
In genital warts often occur just under the foreskin, but can be anywhere on the penis, on the scrotum or in the groin. Homosexual men may also get infected in the anus and rectum.
Both men and women can get the warts in their mouth and down the throat after engaging in oral sex (see genital warts pictures).

Anus and rectum genital warts

A Doctor would recommend that I if you have anal sex frequently (such as gay or bisexual men) you should have a regular Pap smear test of the rectum and anus. Early detection and treatment can help to prevent cancer from developing.

How often can episodes occur?

If you have contracted HPV virus there is a strong possibility you many not ever get any genital warts. If you are unfortunate to get an outbreak of genital warts some people only have one episode, while others have many recurrences throughout their lifetime.

Can I still have sex with genital warts?

If someone has visible symptoms of genital warts, they should not have sexual activity until the warts have been treated and removed.

Condoms do not cover all genital skin, so they don't protect 100%. But may help provide protection to stop the virus been spread to partners. If you have a partner you are sexually active with, there is a strong possibility they have already contracted the HPV virus from you. However only 50% of people who have HPV develop genital warts.

Treatment

Sadly there is no cure for HPV, and once you are infected you will have it for the rest of your life. However your body can ‘fight it off’ and the virus itself can become dormant for decades and then reappear, but once the warts have formed they don't typically regress and require treatment. Although some genital warts can disappear after 2-3 years.
There are home prescription treatments available that require a prescription by a doctor, however you can purchase these drugs without any prescription on this site. Also available are natural treatments which are known to be effective.

Other treatments can be carried out by a doctor including; Cryotherapy works by freezing off the wart and kills the warts 70% of the time, but recurrence is 40% to 73% 6 months after treatment. And laser therapy can be used also, which is often used as a last resort and is extremely expensive (see genital warts symptoms).