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Conditions

Genital Warts

Anal warts

Genital warts are the most common STI seen at genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics throughout the UK. Caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), of which there are over 100 different types, most genital warts are caused by just two types of the virus (types 6 and 11). The virus is easily passed from one person to another (men and women) through sexual contact. But you don’t need to have penetrative sex to catch them, as close genital contact (skin to skin) is enough to pass it on. Most people will not develop warts and the virus will go away without treatment, but you may not know whether you or your partner has the virus. If you do get visible warts you might notice small, fleshy growths, bumps or skin changes which may appear anywhere in the genital or anal area, either externally on the skin or internally. Treatment can involve prescription creams (but not over-the-counter wart preparations); freezing them; using a laser; or surgery.

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What the Men in White Coats Say

Comments and Questions

The EB doctors have been looking at your comments and have answered some of the common questions below. Remember that it is always best to check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.

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Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.

white small lumps on the penis usually around the rim of the head of the penis are called penile puples(not sure i spelt that right) and are harmless its a common thing but you should get it checked out to make sure





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i have a problem that i really dnt want to see the doctor about hope you can help! i thought at first that i had piles cause it hurts going to the loo but i seem to also have like these skin flaps around by anal area their not painful at all but never had them before and realy hope there not anal warts ive been with the same partner for 7 years please help me?





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i have these like skin tags inside my vagina i hope i havent got warts cuz the last time i had intercourse was3 years ago.





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i had warts 2 years ago i got rid of them with the treatment but my partner has had warts from about 6 months ago, did he get them from me because of the virus or is that not possible





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hi im 17 years old and i had genital warts i found out last year that my ex boyfriend had been seeing people behind my back which really hurt and i thought my life was over but they havnt came back in months but i have a sore anus but also have been having trouble at the toilet could it be happening at my back passage? please help





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can i visit my GP to diagnose if i have genital warts?





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your best bet is visit your GP and if you tell the doctor what the symptom(s) are he/she can secide whether they need to refer you to a specialist, take any tests or if they can give you a treatment. if in doubt i'd visit your GP anyway. hope this helps

thanks. after researching online its more likey to be a "molluscum" or "forcyde gland" but will be going to my gp on monday just in case, thanks again

Hi, is it possible to visit my standard GP in regards to seeing if my symptoms are genital warts or would i have to go to a GUM clinic instead?





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is it possible to have have genital warts and not show any symptoms ?





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Hi, I went to the doctor a few weeks ago becaused i thought i had genital warts, but i was told they were only skin tags. But i have quite a few of them around my vagina and bum and they are doing my head in. I am worried that maybe i was diagnosed wrong, or am i just panicking and can they be removed? Please help.





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skin tags can easily be removed sometimes your gp nurse does it or if not you can have it done privately but get a second opinion from an std clinic (G.U.M clinic) first.

Hi for the past year ive had white spots around my penis ive always used proctective sex and been very safe. I havent gone to my local GP yet but is wondering is this a sexually transmitted disease and how can catch you this and what is the best treatment for this infection and what is this????. im really worried about this and feel very insecure about my self and would love to my normal self again please help!





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It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





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The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.


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Content supplied by NHS Choices

Genital warts are an infection of the skin of the genital and anal area, and the mucous membranes (lining) of the vagina, cervix and rectum. They are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). Read More »

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