Some types of HPV can develop spontaneously and not because of sexual relations. Genital warts usually appear on the inside and outside of the genital area. They may spread to other nearby areas of the body. You may get warts in your mouth if you have had oral sexual contact with an infected person. Genital warts are seen more often in women who have several sexual partners or who have a male partner who has several sexual partners.
Many times there are no symptoms.
Your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and do a pelvic exam. Often HPV is discovered when a Pap smear is done. If the results of a Pap smear are abnormal, your provider may examine your vagina and cervix with a magnifying instrument called a colposcope. Your provider may then do a biopsy, removing a sample of tissue to examine under a microscope. This will help determine if HPV is the reason the Pap smear was abnormal.