Some types of the virus cause common skin warts. Other high-risk types of HPV cause cervical cancer and other genital cancers. Like many other sexually transmitted diseases, HPV often attacks the body silently, i.e. there are no visible symptoms. If the virus causes warts, they usually first appear as small, hard painless bumps. In women, the warts occur on the outside and inside of the vagina, on the cervix, or around the anus.
Men are less likely to develop genital warts.
However, if they do, the warts appear on the tip of the penis. They also may be found on the shaft of the penis, on the scrotum, or around the anus. On rare occasions, genital warts may appear in the mouth or throat of a person who has had oral sex with an infected person. Rarely, genital warts also can develop in the mouth or throat of a person who has had oral sexual contact with an infected person. If a person has genital warts, a doctor should be able to spot the problem through a direct visual examination.