Genital warts (HPV): causes, treatment and prevention
What causes genital warts, which HPV types are involved, how treatment is planned and what reduces the risk of transmission.
What causes genital warts
The underlying cause of genital warts is the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is transmitted sexually. The types responsible are usually HPV 6 and HPV 11, classified as low-risk. These lesions — changes in the tissue — do not carry a direct risk of turning into cancer, but they can cause physical discomfort and so need medical assessment and management.
How they are treated
Treatment is planned individually by a specialist according to the person's situation and to how widespread the lesions are and where they sit. The aim is to remove the visible structures the virus has caused. The main methods are:
- Cryotherapy (freezing): the warts are treated by being frozen with dedicated equipment.
- Surgical (excisional) methods: persistent or suspicious lesions are cut away surgically under local anaesthetic.
- Laser treatment (ablation): laser energy is used to vaporise the warts. After clinical assessment, laser ablation may be considered by your doctor as one of the medical options — particularly for warts that are widespread or reach anatomically difficult areas.
What helps prevent them
HPV vaccination has an important place in preventing HPV infection and genital warts. The vaccines in use today include the HPV types that most often cause warts. Given before any encounter with the virus, vaccination markedly reduces the risk of warts caused by the types it covers.
Alongside vaccination, using barrier methods (condoms) during a contact of uncertain risk lowers the chance of transmission — though because the virus can also pass through skin-to-skin contact, it may not give complete protection.
See also the HPV vaccine and genital laser treatment.
Results of any surgical or interventional procedure can vary from person to person.