People who sweat heavily, who walk or exercise frequently are susceptible to the development of warts. Flat warts on most of the rest of the body are smaller and smoother than the warts found on the hands or feet. They grow in clusters of 20 to 100 at a time in the bearded area on the face of men and on the legs of women. Genital warts are very contagious and occur on the genitalia, around the anus, and within the rectum. In women, they are also found inside the vagina and on the cervix.
Genital warts are hard to treat and some are associated with cancer of the cervix.
Both sexual partners should receive medical care at the same time. Physicians use many treatments to remove warts. They can be frozen off, burned off, surgically removed, treated with chemicals and drugs, or removed by laser. Seek treatment for new warts as quickly as possible to prevent the virus from spreading to nearby skin, particularly those warts found in the genital area. If the warts do not interfere with walking or running and do not cause social problems, it may be best to leave them alone.