Vaginal or anal sex, or other direct contact. On the penis, they are usually visible, but genital warts in women or anal warts in either sex may be undetected. If untreated, they may continue to grow and spread. Infection by wart virus may occur without the development of actual warts. Once HPV infection has been diagnosed in women, they should have Pap smears every six months to reduce the possibility of the development of cervical cancer .
Warts often require more than one treatment.
Freezing, chemical painting, laser and diathermy are used. For women, Pap smears every six months are necessary to monitor possible cell changes. This website is based on the latest information available as of April 1999.